Otocinclus cocama Reis,
R.E, 2004 |
his Loracariid, in my personal opinnion, rivals the most revered
member of this Family, the "Zebra Plec",
Hypancistrus zebra.
This is also a "Zebra" with the common name of the "Zebra
Oto". It is only
since the year 2000 that this species was offered to the trade.
Before being described by Roberto E. Reis in 2004 it went under
the name of Otocinclus “zebra”. The holotype
was collected in the Yanayacu (approx. 04°55’S, 073°43’W),
tributary to the caño
of the cocha Supay in Jenaro Herrera, Provincia Requena, Departamento
Loreto, Peru; Jan 2004,
This Otocinclus is of course very distinctive
and as such can be identified from all other members of this
genus by the vertically elongated blotches spanning from the
dorsal midline to the ventral border of flanks, and by a complete
lateral line. There seems to be a wide diversity of markings
on individual species but they all seem to have the same distinctive
blotch shape on the caudal peduncle and the "W" shape
band in the caudal fin.
The Otocinclus genus on its own has 15 recognised species
and a few others that have still to be descibed and was revised
in 1997 by Schaefer with 13 species as valid. A gap of 55 years
had occurred between the description of O. macrospilus
Eigenmann & Allen, 1942 and Schaefer’s (1997) revision
of Otocinclus, where five new species were described.
After 1997, four additional species have already been found.
O. tapirape Britto & Moreira, 2002, O. mimulus
Axenrot & Kullander, 2003, this months subject, Otocinclus
cocama Roberto E. Reis, 2004,
and another yet undescribed species from Peru and Colombia.
Keeping Otocinclus cocama in the aquarium is not too
much of a problem but they do seem to be a bit more sensitive
to the captive environment than other members of this genus.
You should provide them however, as is with most Otocinclus,
a planted tank, as they are found in the wild amongst abundant
vegetation. Provide them with vegetable based foods or they
will start to damage plants in the aquarium. Substrate can be
of small rounded gravel or sand. I personally prefer the latter
as their faeces (and it can be a lot with a vegetarian diet)
sits atop this medium and can be hoovered off when carrying
out your regular water changes.
Acknowledgment: Roberto E. Reis for permission
to reference his paper.
Dorsal spines (total): 2 - 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 7; Anal
spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 28. Can be distinguished
from all its congeners by the following: unique, distinct color
pattern consisting of vertically elongated blotches spanning from
the dorsal midline to the ventral border of flanks; complete lateral
line, without the gap plates (midbody plates without lateral line
perforations) present in other Otocinclus. Can also be
differentiated by having a high number of teeth (30-45 in premaxilla
and 23-36 in dentary). Differs from Otocinclus huaorani,
Otocinclus mura and Otocinclus bororo by having
a small metapterygoid channel and one W-shaped mark in the caudal
fin
Ground colour of head and dorsum bluish white to slightly creamy
yellowish. Dorsum of head and snout between nares black. Lateral
portions of snout and postorbital region of head also black, leaving
narrow, V-shaped white band beginning
at snout tip, passing through nares and above orbits, and progressing
laterally through compound pterotic (the cranium). Ventral margin
of snout darkened but head otherwise white or pale yellowish ventrally.
Color pattern of dorsum of body and flanks formed by four black
or dark gray, saddle-shaped blotches; one at origin of dorsal fin,
second behind dorsal-fin base, third between dorsal and caudal fins,
and fourth at base of caudal fin. Caudal fin with W-shaped vertical
band in distal half, but leaving narrow hyaline band at margin.
Base of two central caudal-fin rays usually black, as prolongation
of last caudal peduncle black blotch.
Peacfull, a good community fish alongside small upper swimming inhabitants.
Not reported.
| Sexual
differences |
Males are usually smaller than females and have
a conical urogenital papilla behind the anal tube, which is
not present in females. Also, males possess a skinflap on
the dorsal surface of the unbranched pelvic-fin ray, which
is absent in females. Finally, males have a small contact
organ formed by an odontode swirl at ventral margin of the
caudal peduncle, near the caudal fin base.
|
| Feeding |
Algae and vegetable based foods such as cucumber and courgette (
zucchini). Will also accept tablet food and frozen bloodworm and
vegetable based flake food.
| Glossary
of Terms |
Medial: Middle
or inner.
Holotype:
The specimen on which
the description of a new species is based.
|
| Etymology |
Otocinclus:
Oto = ear; cinclus = a latticework, (an
allusion to the holes in the head in the region of the ear).
cocoma: Named after the Cocama-Cocamilla
Indians of the lower Ucayali and Marañon rivers.
|
| References |
Reis, Roberto E., 2004.
Otocinclus cocama, a new uniquely colored loricariid catfish
from Peru (Teleostei: Siluriformes), with comments on the
impact of taxonomic revisions to the discovery of new taxa.
Neotropical Ichthyology, 2(3):109-115.
|
| Photo
Credits |
Allan James @  |
Peru : Lower Ucayali and Marañon Rivers
