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Bunocephalus chamaizelus Eigenmann, 1912

Image contributors to this species:

Donald Taphorn (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Aquarium Care: Very peaceful species which will do well in a quite community tank where the tank mates are non-aggressive. Provide a sand substrate for them to bury themselves and a planted dark area to make them feel more secure in their surroundings. Better to feed at lights out or in a dimly lit tank so they can get their share of any foodstuffs. Diet: Live and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, tubifex and small crustacea. Tablet foods and sunken flake that lies on the bottom is also taken. Etymology: The genus name Bunocephalus: buno-, mound or knob; cephalus, head, referring to rounded cusps or bumps on head. The specific name chamaizelus: etymology not explained, perhaps derived from chamai, dwarf, referring to small size of Eigenmann’s specimens (22-44 mm) [likely belongs in a new or different genus].

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Dysichthys chamaizelus

Family:

Aspredinidae

Distribution:

South America: Essequibo River basin, Guyana. Type locality: Erukin, British Guiana.

Size:

4.0cm. (1½ins)

Temp:

22-26°c (71-78°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

IUCN Red List

The species has a restricted range in the Essequibo-Potaro and Cuyuni-Mazaruni basins. The best estimate of the extent of occurrence (EOO) is 21,956 km². The subpopulations of the lower Potaro, Kuribrong and Mazaruni rivers have been affected by a reduction in the area of occupancy (AOO) and in the extent and quality of habitat, inferred based on the gold mining activities and considering its habit of living in submerged foliage or buried in the sand of rivers. There are six locations based on this threat. However, not much is known about the population, how these impacts affect the species, and whether there are additional subpopulations in the tributaries of the Essequibo River basin. The EOO is close to meeting the B1 criterion threshold for Vulnerable (VU). There are six locations, meeting subcriterion a. There are continuing declines in the AOO and habitat quality and extent, meeting subcriteria b(ii,iii). Thus, Bunocephalus chamaizelus is assessed as Near Threatened (NT). Further research to investigate the status of its population is recommended, since the species is not well known, as well as being uncommon (IUCN 2022).

Reference:

Calegari, B.B. 2022. Bunocephalus chamaizelus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
Friel, J.P., 2003. Aspredinidae (Banjo catfishes). p. 261-267. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 08/2019 ).
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

Family: Aspredinidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Bunocephalus chamaizelus
Tributory of Ireng River, Guyana

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