Trichomycteridae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parasitic catfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Superfamily: Loricarioidea Family: Trichomycteridae
Genera (examples)
Subfamily Copionodontinae Copionodon Glaphyropoma Subfamily Glanapteryginae Glanapteryx Listrura Pygidianops Typhlobelus Subfamily Sarcoglanidinae Ammoglanis Malacoglanis Microcambeva Sarcoglanis Stauroglanis Stenolicmus Subfamily Stegophilinae Acanthopoma Henonemus Homodiaetus Ochmacanthus Parasteglophilus Pareiodon Schultzichthys Stegophilus and more Subfamily Trichogeninae Trichogenes Subfamily Trichomycterinae Bullockia Eremophilus Hatcheria Ituglanis Rhizosomichthys Scleronema Silvinichthys Trichomycterus Subfamily Tridentinae Miuroglanis Tridens Tridensimilis Tridentopsis Subfamily Vandelliinae Paracanthopoma Paravandellia Plectrochilus Vandellia

Pencil or parasitic catfishes are small fishes of the family Trichomycteridae (order Siluriformes), comprising about 42 genera and 178 species. These fish originate from freshwater in Costa Rica, Panama, and South America. Though the family is commonly known as "parasitic catfishes", species from only two subfamilies, Vandelliinae and Stegophilinae, are considered to be parasitic fishes, including the infamous "candiru" or vampire catfish (Vandellia sp.), feared by some people for its habit of entering into the urethra of humans.

The body of these fish are normally naked and elongate. The chin barbels are usually absent, nasal barbels are usually present, and there are usually two pairs of maxillary barbels. Most of these fish lack an adipose fin. Some of these fish also lost pelvic fins.

This family is prohibited to import into various parts of the USA.

[edit] See also

• List of fish families

[edit] References

• "Trichomycteridae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Mar 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
• Upton, Steve J. (2003-05-16). Animal Parasitology. Kansas State University. Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
• Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317