Aspredinichthys

Aspredinichthys is a genus of banjo catfishes found in fresh and brackish waters in tropical South America from the Orinoco delta, through the Guianas, to the Amazon delta.^[1] Both species are found in lower portions of rivers and in coastal waters of northern South America from Venezuela to northern Brazil^[2] where they are benthic fish.^[3]

Description

Aspredinichthys species are large aspredinids that grow up to about 22.0 centimetres (8.7 in) SL; they are distinguished from all other aspredinids by the characters including having 8 pectoral-fin rays and several pairs of accessory mental barbels present.^[4] The two species placed in this genus are very similar in appearance and are most readily separated by the pattern and number of accessory mental barbels.^[4]

Species

There are currently two described species in this genus:^[3]

• Aspredinichthys filamentosus (Valenciennes, 1840) (Sevenbarbed banjo)
• Aspredinichthys tibicen (Valenciennes, 1840) (Tenbarbed banjo)

References

1. ^ Friel, John P. (2000-04-14). "Aspredinichthys Bleeker 1858". Tree of Life Web Project. http://tolweb.org/Aspredinichthys/15265. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 
2. ^ Ferraris, Carl J., Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa 1418: 1–628. http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). Species of Aspredinichthys in FishBase. December 2011 version.
4. ^ ^{a b} Friel, John Patrick (1994-12-13) (PDF). A Phylogenetic Study of the Neotropical Banjo Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Aspredinidae). Duke University, Durham, NC. http://www.cumv.cornell.edu/pdf/Friel_Ph.D._Thesis_1994.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-07.