Habitat: Occurs
in littoral creeks, over sandy bottoms covered with
dead leaves. Inhabits also lakes and rivers, but seems
to prefer rivers with a very slight current. Prefers
a muddy bottom covered with leaves and decaying wood,
the latter providing for hiding places during the
day. Mainly nocturnal. Reproduction:
Its sex ratio is 2:1 in favor of females. The male's
reproductive apparatus includes multi-lobed testicles
and accessory organs for secretion and storage. Fertilisation
is external. Non-sticking demersal eggs (1.1 to 2.8
mm diameter) are laid down, hatching after about 48
hours at 22°C. Ten days later, the larvae weigh
approximately 100 mg but growth is slow (0.5 to 1.15
g per day). Aquarium Care: In the
aquarium you should treat this species as you would
any "Pim" and house them with tank mates
that are the same size or larger and who occupy a
different layer of the tank be it mid water or top.
Provide plenty of hideing places if you intend to
keep more than one individual. Diet:
Feeds on fish and insects, benthic zooplankton and
crustaceans. Omnivorous. In aquria not fussy so should
be fed the usual aquarium foods such as flake, tablets,
pellets, frozen and live food. Provide a varied diet.
Etymology: The specific name quelen:
In honour of Abbé (Father) Florentin-Louis
de Quélen de la Villeglée Villeglée
(1762–?), chaplain on expedition during which
holotype was collected [presumably a noun in apposition,
without the genitive “i”]. Remarks:
Possesses poisonous spiny rays.
Central and South America:Mexico to central Argentina. Type
locality: Peru, Depto Loreto, right bank
quebradita tributary to R. Samiria between Caño
Pastos and Hamburgo.
Size:
35.0cm (15ins)
Temp:
24-26°C (75-79°F)
p.H.
6.0-7.0.
IUCN
Red List
Rhamdia
quelen is widespread from Mexico to southern Argentina
and southern Brazil. Population status is suspected
to be stable, but it faces threats from invasive Heptapterid
fishes, large amounts of herbicides, fungicides and
pesticides used in areas for crop protection, and is
a known host of the infectious trematode Clinostomum
sp. While it is possibly declining in parts of its range
due to these threats, it is not thought that any global
population decline is likely to meet (or be close to
meeting) the threshold for Vulnerable, given the various
populations throughout its range are not directly connected.
Therefore, the species is assessed as Least
Concern, (IUCN 2019).
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