Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish, with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and their suckermouths. Several genera are sold as "plecos", notably the suckermouth catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, and are popular as aquarium fish.
Hypostomus is a genus of catfish in the family Loricariidae. They are native to tropical and subtropical South America. H. plecostomus is the popular freshwater aquarium fish formerly known as Plecostomus plecostomus. There is a lot of confusion as to the precise taxonomic structure of the Loricariidae.
Farlowella is a genus of fish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. This genus is broadly distributed in Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield. It is absent from the Pacific slope of the Andes and from the coastal rivers of the Brazilian Shield. Many of these species are kept in aquariums. This genus has a unique body shape that resembles a thin stick of wood. The body is slender and elongate, often with a pronounced rostrum and a brownish color with two lateral dark stripes beginning at the tip of the rostrum, passing over the eyes and ending at the tail, which are periodically interrupted on the caudal peduncle.
The Hypoptopomatinae are a subfamily of catfishes of the family Loricariidae, composed of 17 genera and approximately 80 species. This subfamily represents about one-tenth of all loricariid species.
Hypoptopoma is a genus of armored catfishes native to South America.
Nannoptopoma is a small genus of catfishes of the family Loricariidae. This genus includes two species, N. spectabile and N. sternoptychum.
Microlepidogaster is a genus of armored catfishes native to South America.
Pareiorhaphis is a genus of catfish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. This genus can be readily distinguished from other neoplecostomines by the unique combination of having fleshy lobes on lateral margins of head ornamented with hypertrophied odontodes on nuptial males, caudal peduncle ovoid in cross section, abdomen usually naked, dorsal fin spinelet ovoid and adipose fin usually present. The color pattern is usually dark brown and mottled with the abdomen white. Most species in to Pareiorhaphis were originally described in Hemipsilichthys. In 1918, Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro proposed the new genus Pareiorhaphis. Whether Pareiorhaphis is monophyletic or not is currently unknown.
Neoplecostominae is a subfamily of South American catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Species of this subfamily live in high-mountain and swift-flowing river habitats.
The Hypostominae are a subfamily of catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Most members of the subfamily are restricted to tropical and subtropical South America, but there are also several species in southern Central America. Hypostomus plecostomus, which is popular in the aquarium trade, has been introduced to several regions far from its native range.
Ancistrini is a tribe of catfishes of the family Loricariidae. Most are restricted to tropical and subtropical South America, but there are also several genus in southern Central America.
Parotocinclus is a genus of fish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. This genus is distributed through almost all hydrographic systems in South America from the Guyana Shield drainages and Amazon Shield tributaries to the coastal drainages of eastern and southeastern Brazil, including the rio São Francisco basin. Most species have the caudal peduncle oval in cross section. It has been found that Characidium species may interact with P. maculicauda. The small Characidium will follow grazing P. maculicauda, which release particulate matter dislodged from the catfish's foraging.
Hypoptopoma sternoptychum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Scott Allen Schaefer is an American ichthyologist working at the American Museum of Natural History as the Dean of Science for Collections, Exhibitions, and the Public Understanding of Science; he serves as the Curator-in-Charge, in the Department of Ichthyology, within the Division of Vertebrate Zoology.
Hypoptopoma baileyi is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Hypoptopoma brevirostratum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Hypoptopoma elongatum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Hypoptopoma incognitum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Hypoptopoma machadoi is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
Hypoptopoma muzuspi is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.
