| Pareiodon microps | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Trichomycteridae |
| Subfamily: | Stegophilinae |
| Genus: | Pareiodon |
| Species: | P. microps |
| Binomial name | |
| Pareiodon microps Kner, 1855 | |
| Synonyms | |
Of Pareiodon
Of Pareiodon microps
| |
Pareiodon microps is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Pareiodon. [1] It is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Amazon Basin. [1] [2]
Like its stegophiline relatives, they possess a sucking, disk-like mouth, along with inter- and opercular spines which facilitates adhesion to its food items, though this species is a scavenger, unlike its ectoparasitic relatives. During feeding events involving vertebrate carcasses, P. microps may be associated with other species of scavengers; the whale candirus, Cetopsis candiru and Ce. coecutiens , are not closely related to P. microps despite also being considered "candiru"; the vulture catfish Calophysus macropterus is a much larger scavenger that may also join the candirus at the carcass. [3]