| Parancistrus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Subfamily: | Hypostominae |
| Tribe: | Ancistrini |
| Genus: | Parancistrus Bleeker, 1862 |
| Type species | |
| Hypostomus aurantiacus Castelnau, 1855 |
|
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Acanthodemus Marschall, 1873 |
|
Parancistrus is a small genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Loricariidae. It includes two species, P. aurantiacus and P. nudiventris.[1]
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The three species Hypostomus aurantiacus, H. nigricans, and H. vicinus were described by François Louis de la Porte, comte de Castelnau in 1855.[2] Parancistrus was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1862 and P. aurantiacus designated as type.[3] Later, P. nigricans and P. vicinus were deemed to be synonyms of P. aurantiacus, making P. aurantiacus the only species of Parancistrus until P. nudiventris was described in 2005.[2]
P. aurantiacus is found in the Ucayali, Tocantins and Xingu Rivers.[4] P. nudiventris is found in the Xingu River in Brazil.[5]
Parancistrus is unique among loricariids due to the presence of fleshy folds on the naked area around the dorsal fin and at the pectoral fin points insertion in the breeding males.[2] Breeding males also have elongated odontodes on their bodies and pectoral fin spines.[2]
Parancistrus have stout bodies that are completely plated in adults. The dorsal fin membrane connects to the adipose fin spine. Their color is typically slate gray to black, occasionally with white streaks. They have large gill openings, which makes the genus different from all other loricariids except some Pogonopoma and Rhinelepis.[2]
P. aurantiacus reaches a length of about 19 centimetres (7.5 in) SL.[4]