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Astroblepus pradai Ardila Rodríguez, 2015

Image contributors to this species:

Ochoa LE., et al 2020 (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Astroblepids are closely related to the Loricariids, and in fact one genus of fish (Lithogenes Eigenman, 1909) seems intermediate between the two families, having the shape and form of an Astroblepid, but some plates on the body and other morphological characters closer to Loricariids. At the time of writing, Lithogenes is currently placed in Loricariidae. Description: This species is distinguished by the following characters: with denticulated spine within the adipose fin; maxillary wattle reaching beyond the oral disk; first pectoral radius larger than head longitude; soft branching radii 6 associated to the third radial; first radius of pelvic fin reaching beyond the anus; premaxillary has 1-6 bicuspid teeth and 6-9 conical teeth in the external row; first simple radii of caudal fin have a short extension; fifth ceratobrachial bone with 8 teeth in the anterior region; free vertebrae 25-26. Habitat: Fishes of the family Astroblepidae are found in freshwaters streams (between 200 to 13,400 feet above sea level) of the tropical Andes from Panama to Bolivia, and occur in both the western Pacific and eastern Amazonian slope drainage systems in South and Central America. Aquarium Care: Not an easy family of catfishes to keep so they would have to have a large tank with rocks and some appropriate vegetation. The water would need to be fast flowing and provided with extra oxygen via an air tube fed into the powerhead flow. The tank should be set up with rocks so as to provide an area where the water current will be slower. Diet: Invertebrates, insect larvae, spirulina tablets or paste, algae based foods and live bloodworm would probably be the staple diet but you may wish to try glassworm and blackworm (although these won’t tend to stay on the substrate unless the current takes them there). Etymology: The specific name pradai: in honour of Saul Prada Pedreros, president of the Colombian Association of Ichthyologists (ACICTIOS), which has greatly contributed to the knowledge of Colombian ichthyology.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Astroblepidae

Distribution:

South America: Colombia. Type locality: Departmento de Santander, Quebrada El Hato, Municipio de Guapotá, Colombia, elevation 1530 metres.

Size:

8.5cm (3¼ins)

Temp:

15-20°c (57-67°f.)

p.H.

Reference:

Ardila Rodriguez, C.A., 2015. Astroblepus verai sp. nov -- A. pradai, A. curitiensis y A. onzagaensis. Cuatro nuevas especies del Departamento de Santander - Colombia. Barranquilla, Departamento del Atlántico 7:1-20.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2023 ).
Ochoa LE, Melo BF, García-Melo JE, Maldonado-Ocampo JA, Souza CS, Albornoz-Garzón JG, Conde-Saldaña CC, Villa-Navarro F, Ortega-Lara A, Oliveira C. Species delimitation reveals an underestimated diversity of Andean catfishes of the family Astroblepidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes). Neotrop Ichthyol. 2020; 18(4).
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

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

Astroblepus pradai

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