Trichomycteridae is a family of catfishes commonly known as pencil catfishes or parasitic catfishes. This family includes the candiru fish, feared by some people for its alleged habit of entering into the urethra of humans. They are one of the few parasitic chordates. Another species is the life monsefuano which was important to the Moche culture and still an important part of Peruvian cuisine.
Listrura is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Acanthopoma annectens is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Acanthopoma. This fish grows to about 12 centimetres (4.7 in) SL. It originates from the upper and middle Amazon River, and is known to occur in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. This species is parasitic, attacking like a leech and leaving wounds all over the fish which it attacks; it spreads a bundle of opercular and inter-opercular spines into the wound and remains there and is difficult to remove. It may invade parts of wading or swimming animals but apparently exist in these passages only for a short while, as they quickly die from a lack of oxygen.
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.
Bullockia maldonadoi is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Bullockia. This fish grows to about 7 centimetres (2.8 in) and originates from Chile.
Eremophilus mutisii is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only member of its genus. This fish grows to about 30 centimetres (12 in) and originates from the Bogotá River basin, which is a tributary of the Magdalena River. It has probably been introduced to Ubaté, Chiquinquirá, and Tundama valleys, Colombia.
Haemomaster venezuelae is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Haemomaster. This fish grows to about 6.6 centimetres (2.6 in) SL and originates from the Amazon and Orinoco River basins.
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.
Megalocentor echthrus is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Megalocentor. This fish grows to about 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) SL and originates from the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Miuroglanis platycephalus is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Miuroglanis. This species is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Solimões River basin. This species grows to a length of 1.2 centimetres (0.47 in) NG.
Paracanthopoma parva is a species of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. P. parva grows to about 2.7 centimetres (1.1 in) SL and is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Amazon and Essequibo River basins.
Pareiodon microps is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Pareiodon. It is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Amazon Basin.
Copionodon is a genus of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. It includes three species, C. lianae, C. orthiocarinatus, and C. pecten.
Stauroglanis gouldingi is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Stauroglanis.
Microcambeva is a genus of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae.
The Sarcoglanidinae are a subfamily of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. It includes six genera: Ammoglanis, Malacoglanis, Microcambeva, Sarcoglanis, Stauroglanis, and Stenolicmus.
Ochmacanthus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America. These species are distributed in South America. O. alternus and O. orinoco originate from the Rio Negro and Orinoco River basins of Brazil and Venezuela. O. batrachstoma inhabits the Paraguay River basin in Brazil. O. flabelliferus lives in river drainages in Guyana and Venezuela. O. reinhardtii is known from the Amazon River basin in Brazil and drainages in French Guiana.
Copionodon pecten is a species of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. It is found in the Mucujê River, a tributary of Paraguaçu River in Bahia, Brazil. This species reaches a length of 6.2 cm (2.4 in).
Copionodon orthiocarinatus is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae. It is found in the Mucujê River, a tributary of Paraguaçu River in Bahia, Brazil. This species reaches a length of 7.5 cm (3.0 in).
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).
