| Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Pterygoplichthys |
| Species: | P. ambrosettii |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii Holmberg, 1893 | |
Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii, sometimes known as the snow king pleco, [1] is a species of armored catfish native to south-central South America. [2]
This species is distributed in the Río Plata basin, in the Paraguay, Middle Paraná, Bermejo, and Uruguay rivers, in the countries of Paraguay, Bolivia, the north/northeast of Argentina, and the west of Uruguay. [3] It is a typical species of the Paraná lower freshwater ecoregion.
It was not originally present in the upper Paraná River, but due to flooding of geological barriers (Sete Quedas waterfalls) the species was able to expand their territory. This was due to the installation of the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant. [4]
The species was originally described in the year 1893 by the physician, naturalist and writer Argentine Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg, under the scientific term for Liposarcus ambrosettii using samples caught in the Paraguay River, opposite the city of Formosa. It is included in the Hypostominae subfamily. [5]
Etymologically, the generic name Pterygoplichthys is constructed with three words of the Greek language, where: pterygion is the diminutive of pteryx that means 'fin', hoplon is 'weapon', and ichthys is 'fish'. [6] The specific term ambrosettii honors the surname of Argentine naturalist Juan Bautista Ambrosetti.
Pterygoplichthys anisitsi was described in 1903 by the German-American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann along with Clarence Hamilton Kennedy. [7] These scientists were originally credited more so with its discovery since the description made by Holmberg went unnoticed, so in 1992 C. Webber passed the latter to the category of nomen oblitum. [8] However, the epithet of P. ambrosettii had been cited as the valid name for this fish by Isaäc Isbrüker in 1980. [9] Other authors began to agree, so in 2007 Carl J. Ferraris Jr. determined that, being the oldest available name, it corresponds to being the senior synonym, becoming P. anisitsi to be its minor synonym. [10]
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.
The loach catfishes are a family, Amphiliidae, of catfishes. They are widespread in tropical Africa, but are most common in streams at high elevations; most species are able to cling to rocks in fast-flowing streams. The 13 genera contain 68 species.
Pterygoplichthys, sometimes collectively known as janitor fish, is a genus of South American armored catfishes. These fish are commonly known as sailfin armoured catfish or sailfin plecs, especially in the aquarium trade.
Scoloplax is the only genus in the catfish family Scoloplacidae, the spiny dwarf catfishes.
Conorhynchos conirostris is a species of catfish.
Pimelodina flavipinnis is the only species of the genus Pimelodina of the family Pimelodidae of catfish.
Cheirocerus is a genus of long-whiskered 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.
Apomatoceros is a genus of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, its sole representative species being Apomatoceros alleni. This fish grows to about 14.6 centimetres SL and originates from the Amazon River. The specific name honours the collector of the type, zoologist William Ray Allen (1885-1955) of Indiana University.
Hatcheria macraei is a species of pencil catfish and the only species in its genus. This fish grows to about 20.8 centimetres (8.2 in) and originates from rivers east of the Andes in Argentina, between 29° and 45°30′S.
Malacoglanis gelatinosus is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Malacoglanis. This fish grows to about 2.0 centimetres (.79 in) SL. and is native to the Caquetá River basin of Colombia. Stauroglanis is the sister group to a monophyletic group formed by Malacoglanis and Sarcoglanis.
Tridensimilis is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Paravandellia is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Hemiodontichthys is a monotypic genus in the family Loricariidae, under the order Siluriformes, containing a single species, Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus, also known as the Pinocchio whiptail catfish, Pinocchio catfish, Pinocchio cat or the knob-nosed whiptail. This shy, bottom-dwelling catfish is native to the Guianas, Brazil, Bolivia and Perú in South America.
Parastegophilus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Auchenipterus is a genus of driftwood catfishes.
Epapterus dispilurus is a species of driftwood catfish distributed in the central and western parts of the Amazon River basin along and south of the main channel of the Amazon River, and Paraguay River basin in Paraguay, northern Argentina and southern Brazil. E. dispilurus grows to 13.0 cm SL. It inhabits the lower part of larger rivers. They are nocturnal, but are also active during dusk and dawn. They feed on smaller fish.
Pareiorhina rudolphi is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Paraíba do Sul River near Lorena, São Paulo State, Brazil. This species grows to a length of 4.5 centimetres (1.8 in) TL.
Pterygoplichthys anisitsi also known as the Paraná sailfin catfish, southern sailfin catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. Its natural range is the middle Paraná and Uruguay River basins of south-central South America, but it has been introduced to North America and South Asia, probably via the pet trade. Like other loricariid catfishes, Pterygoplichthys anisitsi has a ventral mouth modified into a sucking disk and a body covered in bony plates. The species typically has a dark and white spotted body pattern, although some individuals are very dark with few spots. It reaches 55 cm in total length and can weigh up to at least 2.3 kg.
Copionodon lianae is a species of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. It is found in the Grisante River, a tributary of the Mucujê River, which is a tributary of the Paraguaçu River in Bahia, Brazil. This species reaches a length of 6.2 cm (2.4 in).