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. The taxonomic structure of the Loricariidae is still being expanded by scientists. Hypostomus is a highly species-rich and widely distributed catfish genus.
Otocinclus is a genus of catfish in the family Loricariidae native to South America, commonly known as "dwarf suckers" or "otos". This genus, like other loricariids, is characterized by rows of armour plating covering the body, as well as the underslung suckermouth. They are generally small in size; O. tapirape is the smallest of the species (2.4 cm), while O. flexilis is the biggest (5.5 cm). These species have adaptations that allow them to breathe air. A duct forms at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach and expands into an enlarged, ring-like diverticulum, characteristic of this genus, which allows air-breathing. Otocinclus are popular aquarium fish, and they are often purchased as algae eaters. It is difficult to breed them in captivity, and only wild caught Otocinclus are available to hobbyists. This genus is widely distributed east of the Andes of South America, throughout the lowlands from northern Venezuela to northern Argentina, but are generally absent from the Amazon and the Orinoco lowlands.
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.
Isbrueckerichthys is a genus of armored catfishes which are endemic to Brazil.
Hypostomus hermanni, sometimes known as Hermann's pleco, is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Tietê River basin, including the Piracicaba River, in Brazil. It is typically found in areas with flowing water of shallow to moderately shallow depth. The species reaches 24 cm in total length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Hypostomus kopeyaka is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basin of the Tiquié River, a tributary of the Vaupés River, which is itself a tributary of the Rio Negro, in Brazil, although it has also been reported from Vaupés Department in Colombia. It generally occurs in rapids, cataract pools, and slow-flowing portions of the Tiquié and some of its large tributaries. The species reaches 22.6 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather. Its specific epithet, kopeyaka, refers to its common name in the Tuyuca and Tucano languages, kope ya’ka, reportedly meaning "pleco from the holes", in reference to the species' tendency to hide in holes in the river bank.
Pareiorhaphis garapia is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Tramandaí River basin in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It is found upstream of the 12 m (39 ft) high Garapiá waterfall, at elevations higher than 409 m (1,342 ft) above sea level. It is known to occur alongside the species Pareiohaphis nudulus and Rineloricaria aequalicuspis, alongside members of the genera Astyanax and Rhamdia. The species reaches 6 cm (2.4 in) in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis garbei, sometimes known by its associated L-number, LDA-090, is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basins of the Macaé River and the Macacu River in the vicinity of Serra dos Órgãos National Park in Brazil. The species reaches 14 cm in total length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis hypselurus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it is known only from Brazil, with its type locality being listed as the Maquiné River basin in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The species reaches 6.9 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis hystrix is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it is known only from Brazil, with its type locality being listed as the Dos Touros River basin in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The species reaches 11.5 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis lophia is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Paraguaçu River basin in Brazil. It is typically found in shallow rocky stretches of coastal blackwater rivers, including rapids. It is known to be syntopic with Hypostomus chrysostiktos and Hypostomus jaguar. The species reaches 8.2 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis nasuta is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Doce River basin in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The type locality of the species is a small, shallow river with clear water, slow to moderate current, and a rocky substrate. It is also found in rapids, with larger individuals of the species occurring in faster-flowing areas. The species reaches 9.5 cm in standard length, is known to be sexually dimorphic, and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis nudulus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the drainage basins of the Araranguá River, the Mampituba River, the Maquiné River, and the Três Forquilhas River in the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It is typically seen in small, shallow rivers with clear water, moderate to strong current, and rocky substrates. The species reaches 3.4 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis parmula is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Iguazu River basin in Brazil, with its type locality being given as the Dos Patos River in the state of Paraná. The species reaches at least 9.45 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis regani is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Amazon River basin in Brazil, with its type locality being listed as the Rio Negro basin in the state of Amazonas. The species reaches 12.1 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis scutula is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it is known only from Brazil, with its type locality being listed as the Piracicaba River basin in the state of Minas Gerais. The environment in which most specimens of the species have been collected is a shallow creek 20 to 50 cm deep and approximately 5 m (16 ft) wide with a swift current, clear water, a rocky substrate, and banks covered in grass. It is known to occur alongside the species Geophagus brasiliensis, as well as members of the genera Astyanax, Neoplecostomus, and Trichomycterus. The species reaches 9.1 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis splendens is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in coastal drainage basins in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina in Brazil, with its type locality being listed as the Cubatão River. The environment in which the species occurs is characterized by clear, fast-flowing water and a rocky substrate. It is typically found in small crevices between loose stones. The species reaches 6.5 cm in standard length and is believed to be a facultative air-breather.
Pareiorhaphis vetula is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the headwaters of the Doce River basin in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The species reaches at least 4.9 cm in standard length. It was described in 2016 by Edson H. L. Pereira, Pablo Lehmann A., and Roberto Esser dos Reis. FishBase does not yet list this species.
