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Ian Fuller (1) Peru Aquarium Group (1) Yann Fulliquet (6) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (1) Haakon Haagensen (1)

Description: Pterobunocephalus is genus of small to medium sized aspredinid species. Members of this genus are distinguished from all other aspredinids by the following characters, having an extremely depressed (flattened) head and body, having the head ornamentation highly reduced or absent, often having a distinct notch in the upper jaw, and having 10–20 anal fin rays. Females of this genus carry embryos directly attached to the ventral surface of their bodies, which also distinguishes them from all other aspredinids. Aquarium Care: Small species that can probably be kept as per other members of this family with a quite tank with sand and plants. Diet: Tablet foods and small live foods. Etymology: The genus name Pterobunocephalus: pterus, referring to large anal fin of Bunocephalus (subgenus Pterobunocephalus) albifasciatus (= P. depressus). The specific name dolichurus: dolichos, long; oura, tail, referring to its “very long” tail relative to others then classified in the short-tailed subfamily Bunocephalinae.

Ghost Banjo Catfish

Petacara dolichura, Petacara dolichurus, Bunocephalus dolichurus

Aspredinidae

South America: Amazon River basin of Brazil and Peru. Type locality: Trombetas-river, near Obidos, Brazil.

6.5cm. (2½ins)

25-28°c (77-83°f.)

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Friel, John Patrick (1994-12-13) (PDF). A Phylogenetic Study of the Neotropical Banjo Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Aspredinidae).