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Mark Henry Sabaj (1) Wilson Lombana Riaño (2)

Habitat: This species is present in the Amazon and Orinoco River Basin within Colombia and Venezuela (Sabaj and Ferraris 2003, Lasso et al. 2011). It was described from Río Apure, 2 kilometers east of San Fernando, Venezuela (Fernández-Yépez 1950). It is widely distributed in the middle and lower sections of the Orinoco basin, in the Meta, Arauca, Apure, and Portuguesa rivers and along the main channel of the Orinoco basin, reaching the delta region. It occurs in Andean tributaries of Orinoco (Apure, Meta), and lowland Guiana Shield rivers near the Orinoco (Cuchivero). It occurs in PNN Macarena (DoNascimiento et al. 2018) and PNN Amacayacu (Usma et al. 2013). In the Orinoco, its migration in May and June coinciding with the Ocotea cymbarum harvest (Usma et al. 2009). In June it enters the flooded forest in search of fruits (O. cymbarum, Astrocaryum jauari, Attalea butyracea, Inga vera, Spondias mombin and Myrciaria floribunda), leaves, insects and crustaceans (Usma et al. 2009, 2013). In Arauca river its diet exhibited differences related to size, with a tendency towards invertivory (Copepoda, Cladocera, Macrobrachiumsp Pseudothelphusidae) in small sized individuals, and a tendency towards herbivory in large individuals. Intact seeds of species of Poaceae and of Coccoloba obtusifolia were found along the intestinal tract of individuals of P. rivasi, suggesting that this species might act as a seed disperser for plants of its riparian forests (Echavarría et al. 2018). Aquarium Care: Would need a large tank with large pipes, plastic or ceramic, to rest in. House with same size or larger tank mates. Diet: Pellets, tablets, frozen mysis shrimp, worm food and mussels. Etymology: The specific name rivasi: In honour of Luis A. Rivas L. (no other information available), who collected fishes with Fernández-Yépez and assisted with the description of this species.

Granulated catfish

Apuredoras rivasi, Pterodoras angeli, Sachsdoras apurensis

Doradidae

South America: Orinoco River basin (Colombia and Venezuela). Type locality: Río Apure, 2 km al este de San Fernando.

55.0cm. (22ins)

22-24°C (69-75°F)

6.0-7.5.

Grant, S. (2021): Banjos, Dorads and Woodcats. Aspredinidae, Doradidae and Auchenipteridae Catfishes. ATS-Aquashop, Neustadt am Rübenberge: 1-300.
Sabaj, M.H. and C.J. Ferraris Jr., 2003. Doradidae (Thorny catfishes). p. 456-469. 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.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Usma, S., Taphorn, D.C., Villa-Navarro, F., DoNascimiento, CD, Herrera-Collazos, E.E. & Mojica, J.I. 2022. Pterodoras rivasi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.