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Paracetopsis bleekeri Bleeker, 1862

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Description: Paracetopsis bleekeri is distinguished from all other species in the Cetopsinae with the exception of Paracetopsis atahualpa and P. esmeraldas by the combination of the possession of a vomerine tooth patch with more than one row of teeth and a medial separation of the contralateral components of the patch. Paracetopsis bleekeri differs from P. atahualpa in the relative length of the pelvic fin (tip of fin falling short of the vent versus completely overlapping the vent, respectively), in the pigmentation on the operculum (lacking opercular pigmentation patch versus having a distinct patch of dark opercular pigmentation, respectively). Paracetopsis bleekeri differs from P. esmeraldas in the pigmentation on the operculum (lacking opercular pigmentation patch versus having a distinct patch of dark opercular pigmentation, respectively), in the extent of the medial gap in the vomerine tooth patch (separated by a distinct medial gap between the contralateral components of the tooth patch equivalent to the width of three or four vomerine teeth versus a limited gap equivalent to the width of one or two vomerine teeth, respectively) (Vari et al, 2005). Habitat: Paracetopsis atahualpa, Vari, Ferraris & de Pinna, 2005 a Tumbes River endemic, is one of only three recognized species in this Pacific Coast endemic genus, the other two being P. bleekeri Bleeker, 1862 from the Guayas River drainage and P. esmeraldas Vari, Ferraris & de Pinna, 2005 from the Esmeraldas River drainage (Lujan, N. 2018). Colouration: The overall colouration of the head and body (light versus dark, respectively). Etymology: The specific name bleekeri: In honour of Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878).

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Cetopsis ventralis, Cetopsis occidentalis

Family:

Cetopsidae

Distribution:

South America: Guayas and Santa Rosa river basins, Pacific Ocean versant of southwestern Ecuador.

Size:

24.0cm. (9ins)

Temp:

22-28°c (71-83°f)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 05/2021 ).
Vari, R.P., C.J. Ferraris, Jr. and M.C.C. de Pinna 2005 The neotropical whale catfishes (Siluriformes: Cetopsidae: Cetopsinae), a revisionary study. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 3(2):127-238.
Windsor, Aquirre. Freshwater Fishes of Western Ecuador. 05/2021.

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

Paracetopsis bleekeri

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