Baryancistrus chrysolomus
Rapp Py-Daniel, Zuanon & Ribeiro de Oliveira, 2011
|
ou may recognise this species in this months factsheet (October
2011) as Baryancistrus sp. L047 and you would be right
and as of this year (2011) this Loricaria has been described
along with the gold nugget pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus)
by Py-Daniel et al in their paper, "Two new ornamental
loricariid catfishes of Baryancistrus from rio Xingu drainage
(Siluriformes: Hypostominae). Neotropical Ichthyology 9, pp.
241–252."
This is one of my favourite Loricarias
for the larger aquarium although they
are not really a species for the beginner in the hobby as they
are specialised feeders and tend to be territorial as adults.
They might not be as brightly coloured as some other members
of this family, never the less the subtle differences between
the body and fin edge colours are in my mind very impressive.
This species is known from the Rio Xingu,
in the area called Volta Grande do rio Xingu, immediately above
Belo Monte falls and below the village of Belo Monte, and from
Rio Curuá, Rio Iriri, which is the the largest tributary
of the Rio Xingu.
Below you can see the male of the species
with the long interopercular spines on the cheeks and the broader
head.
Adults occur under large flat rocks settled
directly on the river bottom, in places with considerable amounts
of fine sediments. Young individuals inhabit marginal areas
of the rapids, near the river banks, usually just one or two
individuals. They occupy under rocks in places with slow to
moderate flowing waters, usually with sediment accumulation
over the rocks and river bottom. Based on two specimens, this
species feeds mainly on diatoms and occasionally on invertebrate
larvae associated with fine sediments and sand grains.
This species can be distinguished from
all its congeners, except Baryancistrus
xanthellus, by the presence of a broad orange to yellow
band along the entire distal border of dorsal and caudal fin
(vs. all fins without yellow bands). This genus is large and
high backed. They have a large suckermouth with a high number
of slender and long stemmed teeth. A small membrane lies behind
the last ray of the dorsal fin which joins the anal fin. Found
in shallow fast flowing areas of water with a stony substrate.
Prefers higher temperatures and adults
can prove to be territorial.
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft
rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 5. This genus is large and
high backed. They have a large suckermouth with a high number
of slender and long stemmed teeth. A small membrane lies behind
the last ray of the dorsal fin which joins the anal fin. Head
large and wide; snout round in dorsal view. Eye large and round,
iris operculum present. Orbit not elevated; interorbital area
flat. No ridge between eyes and nares. Supraoccipital process
not elevated, almost indistinct from rest of bone, round posteriorly
and elevated. Supraoccipital limited by a pair of large quadrangular
plates tightly connected. Predorsal area reduced, with one pair
of separated diamond shaped plates anterior to nuchal plate.
Broad orange to yellow band along the entire
distal border of dorsal and caudal fin. Body dark brown to olive
at dorsum and sides,
paler ventrally. Very faint pale spots over body, hardly visible
on fins. Juveniles with whitish orange band on distal fourth of
caudal and dorsal fins, narrower in adults.
Larger Characins
such as the Congo Tetras from Africa. As the genus Baryancistrus
likes higher temperatures you could may be research companions
that will be able to sustain these parameters, such as non-aggresive
South American Cichlids.
No reports although the gold nugget pleco,
Baryancistrus
xanthellus, has been bred before.
| Sexual
Diferences |
Mature males have
a broader and longer head and longer pectoral fin spines.
|
| Feeding |
Vegetarian diet, and will also eat plants
in the aquarium. Tablet foods and
insect larvae.
| Etymology |
Baryancistrus:
Greek, barys = heavy/sturdy (Ancistrus)+ Greek, agkistron
= hook.
chrysolomus: From the Greek chryso,
meaning orange or yellow and loma meaning border, in allusion
to the coloured band at the border of the dorsal and caudal
fins. A noun in apposition. |
| References |
Seidel, Ingo;
Back to Nature guide to L-catfishes 208 p.
Py-Daniel, LR, J Zuanon and RR de Oliveira
(2011) Two new ornamental loricariid catfishes of Baryancistrus
from rio Xingu drainage (Siluriformes: Hypostominae).
Neotropical Ichthyology 9, pp. 241–252
|
| Glossary |
Adipose fin: Fleshy
finlike projection without rays, behind the rayed dorsal
fin.
Dorsal fin: The
primary rayed fin(s) on top of the body
Caudal fin: The
paired fins after head and before anal fin.
Anal fin: The fin forward from the anal
cavity.
Interorbital: The space between the orbits
of the eyes.
Supraoccipital: Unpaired
bone at the back of the skull, usually with a crest.
Nuchal: Area between the skull and dorsal
fin.
|
| Photo
Credits |
Danny
Blundel @ The Danny Blundell Photo Gallery
|
