Loricariidae

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Loricariidae
Pterygoplichthys sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Superfamily: Loricarioidea
Family: Loricariidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Genera

about 90, see text

Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish, noted for the covering of bony plates covering their bodies and a suckermouth.[1] Several types are sold as plecos, notably the 'Suckermouth Catfish' Hypostomus plecostomus, are popular for aquaria, where they are useful because of their algae-eating habits. Most species are in fact detritivores.

Contents

[edit] Distribution and habitat

Loricariids are found in Costa Rica, Panama, and South America. All of the armored catfishes are freshwater fish. Species occur in swift-flowing streams from the lowlands up to 3,000 metres in elevation.[1] While not native, this species has reached infestation proportions in south and central Florida. It was first reported in 1995 in the Indian River Lagoon. It has since spread across the state in abundance. The Peace and Myakka rivers are infested. It has become so dominant its presence has seriously reduced the sunfish and bass populations, formerly healthy in the Peace and Myakka Rivers. [2]

[edit] Physical characteristics

Loricariids are characterized by bony plates covering their body, similar to the bony plates in Callichthyids (In Latin, lorica means corselet). These fish exhibit a ventral suckermouth (which may or may not have conspicuous barbels) with papillae (small projections) on the lips. These fish have relatively long intestines. The adipose is, when present, usually with a spine at the anterior border.[1] The body is usually flattened on its ventral surface.

Unusually for bony fish, many species have irises, and the iris is omega shaped (see: Omega iris); the exact reason for development of such an unusually shaped iris is unknown but may be to camouflage the eye so as to make the fish less visible to predators.[3]

[edit] Common names

Members of the family Loricariidae are commonly referred to as suckermouth armoured catfishes, suckermouth catfish, suckermouths, armoured catfish, 'plecos' or simply 'plecs'; a shortened form of the species name plecostomus.

These names are used practically interchangeably when referring to the Loricariidae. The name "Plecostomus" and its shortened forms have become synonymous with the Loricariidae in general, since Plecostomus plecostomus (now called Hypostomus plecostomus) was one of the first species imported into the fishkeeping hobby.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is the largest catfish family, including about 684 species in around 92 genera. However, this family is in flux and revisions are likely.[1] For example, the subfamily Ancistrinae is accepted in as late as the 2006 edition of Nelson's Fishes of the World, however Armbruster groups it as a tribe under Hypostominae.[4]

[edit] L numbers

Main article: L-number

The Loricariidae are often referred to by their 'L-number', this has been become common since imports of loricariid catfish from South America often included specimens that had not been taxonomically described. Currently L-numbers are used not only by fishkeeping enthusiasts but by biologists since they represent a useful stopgap until a new species of fish is given a full taxonomic name.[5] It should be noted that two different L-numbered catfish have turned out to be different populations of the same species, and that a stock of identically L-numbered catfish might contain more than one species also.

[edit] Genera

In general identification of a given genera is not simple, especially in the case of juveniles who may lack some of the distinguishing features of specific genera. For a key to the armour plated suckermouth catfish see A Key to the Genera of Loricariidae (external link)

Notes: For the most part, Armbruster's classification is used.[4] Genus synonyms are placed in paranthesis. Because of this relatively rapid shuffling of the genera, this list may conflict with other articles, especially if certain fish are known very well by a certain genus.

Subfamily Hypoptopomatinae

  • Acestridium
  • Corumbataia
  • Epactionotus
  • Eurycheilichthys
  • Hisonotus
  • Hypoptopoma (Aristommata, Diapeltoplites)
  • Microlepidogaster
  • Nannoptopoma
  • Niobichthys
  • Otocinclus (Lampiella, Macrotocinclus)
  • Otothyris
  • Otothyropsis
  • Oxyropsis
  • Parotocinclus
  • Pseudotocinclus
  • Pseudotothyris
  • Schizolecis

Subfamily Hypostominae

  • Tribe Ancistrini
    • Acanthicus
    • Ancistrus (Pristiancistrus, Thysanocara, Xenocara)
    • Baryancistrus
    • Chaetostoma (Hypocolpterus, Lipopterichthys)
    • Cordylancistrus
    • Dekeyseria (Zonancistrus)
    • Dolichancistrus
    • Exastilithoxus
    • Hemiancistrus (Ancistomus)
    • Hemiancistrus landoni (undescribed genus)
    • Hopliancistrus
    • Hypancistrus
    • Lasiancistrus
    • Leporacanthicus
    • Leptoancistrus
    • Lithoxus (Paralithoxus)
    • Megalancistrus
    • Neblinichthys
    • Panaque[4]
      • Subgenus Panaque
      • Subgenus Panaqolus
      • Subgenus Scobinancistrus
    • Parancistrus
    • Peckoltia (Peckoltichthys, Sophiancistrus)
    • Pseudacanthicus
    • Pseudancistrus (Lithoxancistrus, Guayancistrus)
    • Pseudolithoxus
    • Spectracanthicus (Oligancistrus)
  • Tribe Corymbophanini
    • Corymbophanes
  • Tribe Hypostomini
    • Hypostomus (Aphanotorulus, Cheiridodus, Cochliodon, Isorineloricaria, Squaliforma, Watawata)
  • Tribe Pterygoplichthyini
  • Tribe Rhinelepini
    • Pogonopoma (Pogonopomoides)
    • Pseudorinelepis (Canthopomus, Monistiancistrus)
    • Rhinelepis

Subfamily Lithogeneinae

  • Lithogenes

Subfamily Loricariinae

  • Apistoloricaria
  • Aposturisoma
  • Brochiloricaria
  • Crossoloricaria
  • Cteniloricaria
  • Dasyloricaria
  • Dentectus
  • Farlowella
  • Furcodontichthys
  • Harttia
  • Harttiella
  • Hemiodontichthys
  • Ixinandria
  • Lamontichthys
  • Limatulichthys
  • Loricaria
  • Loricariichthys
  • Metaloricaria
  • Paraloricaria
  • Parasturisoma
  • Planiloricaria
  • Pseudohemiodon
  • Pseudoloricaria
  • Pterosturisoma
  • Pyxiloricaria
  • Reganella
  • Rhadinoloricaria
  • Ricola
  • Rineloricaria
  • Spatuloricaria
  • Sturisoma
  • Sturisomatichthys

Subfamily Neoplecostominae

  • Kronichthys
  • Neoplecostomus
  • Pareiorhina
  • Pareiorhaphis (Isbrueckerichthys)

Unnamed Subfamily

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Nelson, Joseph, S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. ISBN 0471250317. 
  2. ^ Werner, Michael (2004-02-21). Exotic Fish are Flooding Florida's Waterways. HeraldTribune.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
  3. ^ Douglas, Ron H.; Shaun P. Collin and Julie Corrigan (2002). "The eyes of suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae, subfamily Hypostomus): pupil response, lenticular longitudinal spherical aberration and retinal topography". The Journal of Experimental Biology. 
  4. ^ a b c J. W. Armbruster. Loricariid taxa list.
  5. ^ Shane Linder. What are L Numbers?.

[edit] External Links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/o/r/Loricariidae.html"