Stegophilus

Stegophilus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Trichomycteridae
Subfamily: Stegophilinae
Genus: Stegophilus
Reinhardt, 1859
Type species
Stegophilus insidiosus
Reinhardt, 1859
Binomial name

Stegophilus insidiosus
Reinhardt, 1859
Stegophilus panzeri
(Ahl, 1931)
Stegophilus septentrionalis
Myers, 1927

Stegophilus is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae. It includes three species, S. insidiosus, S. panzeri, and S. septentrionalis.[1] S. insidiosus originates from the São Francisco River basin in Brazil, S. panzeri is from the lower Amazon River basin in Brazil, and S. septentrionalis is from Orinoco River basin in Venezuela.[1] Stegophilus species grow to between 4.1–4.4 centimetres (1.6–1.7 in) SL.[2][3] S. insidiosus is a true parasite living in the gill chambers of larger fishes, including catfishes like Sorubim lima; it uses its strong teeth to bite into the gill filaments to suck the blood.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b 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. 
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Stegophilus panzeri" in FishBase. July 2007 version.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Stegophilus septentrionalis" in FishBase. July 2007 version.
  4. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Stegophilus insidiosus" in FishBase. July 2007 version.