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Raphael Covain (1) John Black (1) Gabriel Lelis Togni (1)

Description: Body moderately slender, elongate; body depth at anal-fin origin 17-25% SL; body compressed, width at anal-fin origin approximately 40% (32-45%) of body depth at that point. Lateral line complete, midlateral, canal forms irregular zig-zag pattern, with vertical or slightly oblique branches extending of angles in canal; canal bifurcates at caudal fin base; long posteriorly-directed branches extend from each main branch. Habitat: Inhabits lower courses of the larger rivers. Free swimming species found near the surface. Nocturnal, plus active during dusk and dawn. Occurs less frequently in flood zones, prefers eroded zones where it appears in large numbers. Sexual Differences: The male is recognisable by his thick, ossified maxillary barbels and by the first few rays of the anal fin which are fused, supporting the urogenyla tube that runs along the anterior border to the tip of the rays. Colouration: Caudal fin with dark marginal bar. Most specimens with pigmentation on upper caudal fin lobe distictly darker than on lower lobe; lower lobe sometimes unpigmented. Diet: Feeds on smaller fish.

Moustache Cat

Hypophthalmus nuchalis

Auchenipteridae

South America: Lower Amazon and Tocantins rivers northward to Marowijne River; possibly also in Rupununi River, Guyana, and Negro River, Brazil. Type locality: Brasilia aequatoriali [now: Rio Capim, near São Domingos do Capim, Brazil, by neotype designation].

27.0cm. (10¾ins)

20-22°c (67-71°f.)

6.5-7.2.

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl, 1985. Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur-und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2003. Auchenipteridae (Driftwood catfishes). p. 470-482. 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.
Ferraris, J., The South American catfish genus Auchenipterus Valenciennes, 1840 (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae): monopoly and relationships, with a revisionary study. Zoological Journal. Vol. 126, Part 4, 1999.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2021 ).