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.
The zebra oto or tiger oto is a fish of the genus Otocinclus of the family Loricariidae that originates from Peru.
Hemiancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes. These species are native to South America. The taxonomy of this genus is complex and unclear, and major work has to be done. Many of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
Corymbophanes is a genus of armored catfish native to South America where they are only known from Guyana. Corymbophanes was originally placed in its own tribe Corymbophanini, but the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Hypostominae found Corymbophanes to be nested within the tribe Ancistrini.
Otothyropsis is a genus of armored catfishes native to South America.
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.
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.
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.
Gymnotocinclus anosteos is a species of armored catfish (Loricariidae) endemic to Brazil, where it is found in the Tocantinzinho River in the Tocantins River basin. This species grows to a length of 4.4 centimetres (1.7 in) SL.
Panaqolus is a genus of small catfish in the family Loricariidae native to rivers in tropical South America. Its members were formerly thought to belong to a clade of small-sized species in the genus Panaque, until this genus was separated from Panaque in 2001. At times it has been considered a subgenus of Panaque, and the validity of the genus has been disputed by various authors and sources. Pseudoqolus koko was formerly considered to be a member of this genus, although it was reclassified as a member of the currently monotypic genus Pseudoqolus by Nathan K. Lujan, Christian A. Cramer, Raphael Covain, Sonia Fisch-Muller, and Hernán López-Fernández following a 2017 molecular phylogenetic analysis.
Peckoltia sabaji is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basins of the Rupununi, the Essequibo River, and the Takutu River in Guyana, as well as the basins of the Casiquiare canal, the Rio Negro, the Cinaruco River, and the Orinoco in Venezuela. It is usually found among boulders in medium to large rivers. The species reaches 19.8 cm SL and is of disputed classification.
Parotocinclus arandai is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in tributaries of the Jucurucu River and the Buranhém River in Brazil. It is found in clear shallow waters with a depth of around 0.3 m and a substrate of sand or gravel. The species reaches 4.3 cm SL.
Parotocinclus jequi is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the headwaters of the Jequitinhonha River basin in Brazil. It is found in areas with clear water, marginal vegetation, a substrate of rocks or pebbles, and a depth of 0.3 to 1.2 m. The species reaches 5.4 cm SL.
Parotocinclus robustus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the São Francisco River basin in Brazil. It is found in shallow rivers with slow to moderate flow speed, a depth of 0.4 to 1.5 m, mostly clear water, and a mixed substrate consisting of stones, gravel, sand, and occasionally mud. The environments inhabited by this species usually have marginal vegetation, which the fish is often found in association with. The species reaches 4.2 cm SL.
Parotocinclus halbothi is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Trombetas River basin in Brazil, as well as the Maroni basin in Suriname. The type locality of the species is a shallow, clear, unvegetated stream with a mixed substrate composed of gravel, sand, and leaf litter, though the fish is reported to be most frequently seen in portions of the stream with a gravel substrate. This species is noted to coexist with a variety of other fishes in its environment, including the genera Aequidens, Apistogramma, Bryconops, Callichthys, Copella, Erythrinus, Gymnorhamphichthys, Helogenes, Hoplias, Laimosemion, Mastiglanis, Pyrrhulina, and Synbranchus. It reaches 2 cm SL.
Parotocinclus cabessadecuia is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is a freshwater species native to South America, where it occurs in the Parnaíba River basin of Brazil, alongside its congeners Parotocinclus haroldoi and Parotocinclus cearensis. The species reaches at least 3.32 cm SL. It was described in 2017 by T. P. Ramos, S. M. Lima, and R. T. Ramos. FishBase does not list this species.
Parotocinclus variola is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it reportedly occurs in a blackwater creek known as Quebrada Tacana, which is a tributary of the Amazon River in Colombia. The species inhabits sandy areas and reaches 2.9 cm SL.
Parotocinclus yaka is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in Brazil, in tributaries of the Tiquié River, which is a tributary of the Vaupés River in the Amazon River basin. The species reaches at least 3.01 cm SL. It was described in 2018 by P. Lehmann A., F. C. T. Lima, and R. E. Reis on the basis of distinctive patterning and cheek morphology.
