Metaloricaria

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Metaloricaria
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Loricariidae
Subfamily: Loricariinae
Genus: Metaloricaria
Isbrücker, 1975 [1]
Type species
Metaloricaria paucidens
Isbrücker, 1975 [1]

Metaloricaria is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Loricariidae, the mailed catfishes, and the subfamily Loricariinae, the armoured suckermouth catfishes. The catfishes in this genus are found in South America.

Contents

Taxonomy

Metaloricaria was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1975 by the Dutch ichthyologist Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker when a described M. paucidens, which he also designated as its type species. [1] The phylogenetic position of Metaloricaria remains uncertain. Some authors classify this genus in the tribe Harttiini in the subfamily Loricariinae, the length of the maxillary barbels (longer than in all other Harttiini), low number of teeth and their reduced size, reduction of the number of caudal-fin rays, and sexual dimorphism reminiscent of that seen in the Rineloricaria group, tend to support a closer relationship of Metaloricaria with the tribe Loricariini. [2] The Loricariinae is a subfamily of the Loricariidae, which is the type family of the suborder Loricarioidei within the order Siluriformes, the catfishes. [3]

Species

There are currently two recognized species in this genus: [4]

Distribution and habitat

Metaloricaria is only known from the Guiana Shield in French Guiana and Suriname where the species occupy an ecological niche similar to that of Harttia . The species are rarely found in their natural environment and inhabit primarily streams over rocky and sandy substrates. [2]

Description

Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied development of odontodes arranged in brushes along the sides of the head and on the spine and rays of the pectoral fins in mature males. Females also possess such brushes along sides of the head, but do not seem to develop pectoral-fin enlarged odontodes. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Loricariinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Covain, Raphael; Fisch-Muller, Sonia (2007). "The genera of the Neotropical armored catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a practical key and synopsis" (PDF). Zootaxa . 1462: 1–40. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1462.1.1.
  3. ↑ Richard van der Laan; Ronald Fricke (eds.). "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Metaloricaria". FishBase . December 2011 version.
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