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Heptapteridae

Another sub-family of the Pimelodidae, Heptapteridaeinae, which is now been given full family status.

There are up to 200 species in this South and Central American family comprising mostly of the genera Imparfinis, Pimelodella, Brachyrhamdia and Rhamdia. Most are predators which vary in size but can be kept in an aquarium with tank mates that are chosen carefully.

IMAGE CONTRIBUTORS
Scientific Names > Common Names > Synonyms > Image Contributors

Tim Addis @ TA Aquaculture

Pariolius armillatus

Almirón et al. 2007

Imparfinis mishky, Imparfinis mishky

Felipe Alonso @ Peces Argentinos

Imparfinis guttatus

Pimelodella gracilis

Zierfisch Zentrum Austria

Chasmocranus quadrizonatus

Windsor Aquirre @ Freshwater Fishes of Ecuador

Pimelodella modesta

Rhamdia cinerascens

Barbara Bean

Pimelodella chagresi, Pimelodella chagresi

Erlend D. Bertelsen

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Cetopsorhamdia molinae

Daniel Blom

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Rhamdia quelen

Whit Bronaugh @ Oregon State University

Imparfinis hasemani, Imparfinis hasemani

Stuart Brown

Imparfinis stictonotus

Pimelodella gracilis

Felipe Cantera

Pimelodella australis, Pimelodella australis

Graham Carr

Cetopsorhamdia molinae

Heptapteridae sp., Heptapteridae sp.

Imparfinis sp. (1) Imparfinis sp. (1) Imparfinis sp. (1)

Calle Velez, Juan Cristóbal

Imparfinis nemacheir

Pimelodella eutaenia

Pimelodella macrocephala

Cortés-Hernández, M. Á. et al 2025

Pimelodella nuchalis, Pimelodella nuchalis, Pimelodella nuchalis

Cortés Hernández, M. et al 2023

Pimelodella longibarbata

Rhamdia laukidi

Daniel

Pimelodella modesta, Pimelodella modesta

Rhamdia cinerascens

DoNascimiento et al. 2025

Magdalenichthys lundbergi, Magdalenichthys lundbergi, Magdalenichthys lundbergi

Magdalenichthys mompox, Magdalenichthys mompox, Magdalenichthys mompox

Magdalenichthys poira, Magdalenichthys poira, Magdalenichthys poira

Magdalenichthys yariguies, Magdalenichthys yariguies, Magdalenichthys yariguies

Carl H. Eigenmann

Pimelodella meta

Caio Feltrin @ Peixes da Mata Atlântica

Pimelodella pappenheimi

Danté Fenolio @ anotheca

Mastiglanis asopos, Mastiglanis asopos, Mastiglanis asopos

Rhamdia enfurnada, Rhamdia enfurnada

Rhamdiopsis krugi

Freshwater Fish from Uruguay 2nd. edition

Heptapterus sympterygium

Imparfinis mishky

Rhamdella eriarcha

Rhamdella longiuscula

Ian Fuller @ CorydorasWorld

Brachyrhamdia thayeria, Brachyrhamdia thayeria, Brachyrhamdia thayeria

Dario Faustino-Fuster

Phenacorhamdia suia, Phenacorhamdia suia, Phenacorhamdia suia

Evaristo Garcia

Heptapterus mustelinus, Heptapterus mustelinus, Heptapterus mustelinus

Grégoire Germeau @ Aquamiroir

Brachyrhamdia heteropleura

Gary Gong

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Steven Grant @ Catfishes of the World

Brachyrhamdia marthae

Heptapteridae sp., Heptapteridae sp.

Mastiglanis asopos, Mastiglanis asopos

Phenacorhamdia nigrolineata

Peru Aquarium Group

Pimelodella gracilis

Pimelodella montana

Rhamdia quelen, Rhamdia quelen

Peter Hardy

Brachyrhamdia marthae

Field Museum of Natural History

Pimelodella meta, Pimelodella meta, Pimelodella meta

Erling Holm @ Royal Ontario Museum

Chasmocranus brevior

Chasmocranus longior

Myoglanis potaroensis

Pimelodella cristata

Pimelodella macturki

Rhamdia quelen

Rhamdia xetequepeque

Gabriela Eguren Iriarte

Pimelodella australis

Allan James @ ScotCat

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Brachyrhamdia meesi, Brachyrhamdia meesi, Brachyrhamdia meesi

Brachyrhamdia rambarrani

Chasmocranus quadrizonatus, Chasmocranus quadrizonatus, Chasmocranus quadrizonatus

Goeldiella eques, Goeldiella eques

Imparfinis longicauda, Imparfinis longicauda

Imparfinis stictonotus, Imparfinis stictonotus

Phenacorhamdia nigrolineata

Pimelodella australis, Pimelodella australis

Pimelodella cyanostigma, Pimelodella cyanostigma

Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library

Brachyrhamdia heteropleura

Brachyrhamdia meesi, Brachyrhamdia meesi

Brachyrhamdia rambarrani, Brachyrhamdia rambarrani, Brachyrhamdia rambarrani

Goeldiella eques, Goeldiella eques

Heptapterus mustelinus

Imparfinis minutus

Imparfinis pseudonemacheir, Imparfinis pseudonemacheir, Imparfinis pseudonemacheir

Pimelodella gracilis, Pimelodella gracilis, Pimelodella gracilis

Pimelodella sp. (1), Pimelodella sp. (1)

Rhamdia quelen, Rhamdia quelen, Rhamdia quelen

Philip Jones

Rhamdia foina

Michael Kirkham

Mastiglanis asopos

Frants Lehmann (stamps)

Rhamdia quelen

Diogo Luiz

Acentronichthys leptos

Pimelodella lateristriga

Nathan Lujan @ loricariidae.org

Chasmocranus quadrizonatus, Chasmocranus quadrizonatus

Imparfinis guttatus

Imparfinis spurrellii, Imparfinis spurrellii

Imparfinis usmai, Imparfinis usmai, Imparfinis usmai

Rhamdia guatemalensis

Angelo Rodrigo Manzotti

Phenacorhamdia tenebrosa

Acuario Marcelo

Heptapterus mustelinus, Heptapterus mustelinus, Heptapterus mustelinus

Museum of Comparitive Zoology, Harvard University

Pimelodella macrocephala

Jan Meerman

Rhamdia guatemalensis

michaelangelo

Rhamdia nicaraguensis

Ivan Mikolji @ mikolji.com

Pimelodella cruxenti

Benitez, Terán, Alonso, Aguilera, Mirande. 2017

Cetopsorhamdia iheringi, Cetopsorhamdia iheringi, Cetopsorhamdia iheringi, Cetopsorhamdia iheringi

Kiruya Momochi

Cetopsorhamdia molinae, Cetopsorhamdia molinae, Cetopsorhamdia molinae

Phenacorhamdia tenebrosa, Phenacorhamdia tenebrosa

Pimelodella sp. 'Rio Ventuari', Pimelodella sp. 'Rio Ventuari', Pimelodella sp. 'Rio Ventuari'

Javier David Quiroga Nova

Pimelodella chagresi

Brian Perkins

Brachyrhamdia thayeria

Peter Petersen @ DenBlaPlanet

Imparfinis mirini, Imparfinis mirini

Pimelodella australis

Cheilinus Aquarium Photography

Pimelodella cristata

Molluscan Pictures

Brachyrhamdia marthae

Pierre V, & Slobodian V, 2024

Pimelodella guato, Pimelodella guato, Pimelodella guato

pmk00001

Rhamdia nicaraguensis

Alan Pool

Imparfinis minutus

Dominick Porcelli

Pimelodella cristata

Chris Ralph

Brachyrhamdia meesi, Brachyrhamdia meesi

Ribolli, J., et al. 2017

Rhamdia branneri

Rhamdia voulezi

Enrico Richter @ Amazon Predators

Goeldiella eques

Rhamdia quelen, Rhamdia quelen, Rhamdia quelen

Erick Sosa Rodriguez

Rhamdia guatemalensis

Mark Henry Sabaj

Cetopsorhamdia iheringi

Cetopsorhamdia insidiosa, Cetopsorhamdia insidiosa

Chasmocranus longior, Chasmocranus longior, Chasmocranus longior

Chasmocranus tapanahoniensis, Chasmocranus tapanahoniensis

Pariolius armillatus, Pariolius armillatus

Phenacorhamdia macarenensis

Phenacorhamdia tenebrosa

Phenacorhamdia tenuis

Pimelodella geryi, Pimelodella geryi

Rhamdia foina

David Sands

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Brachyrhamdia rambarrani

Ivan Sazima @ Instituto de Biolgia

Acentronichthys leptos

Imparfinis mirini, Imparfinis mirini

Pimelodella avanhandavae

Karsten Schönherr

Chasmocranus tapanahoniensis

Imparfinis nemacheir

Imparfinis pijpersi, Imparfinis pijpersi, Imparfinis pijpersi, Imparfinis pijpersi

Pimelodella macturki, Pimelodella macturki, Pimelodella macturki, Pimelodella macturki

Leonard P. Schultz -1944

Cetopsorhamdia orinoco

California Academy of Sciences

Pimelodella montata

Drake Shaw @ Crazy Aqua Studio

Brachyrhamdia marthae, Brachyrhamdia marthae

Garold W.Sneegas @ Aquatic Kansas Images

Mastiglanis asopos

Nemuroglanis sp. (1)

Guilherme Souza

Pimelodella lateristriga

Donald Taphorn

Brachyglanis melas

Imparfinis longicauda

Adrian Taylor

Cetopsorhamdia phantasia, Cetopsorhamdia phantasia, Cetopsorhamdia phantasia, Cetopsorhamdia phantasia, Cetopsorhamdia phantasia

Guillermo Terán

Heptapterus mandimbusu

Robin Warne

Goeldiella eques

Daniel Konn-Vetterlein

Imparfinis minutus

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Scientific Names

Common Names

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