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Panaqolus albivermis is described as a new species based on four specimens from the San Alejandro River, a tributary of the upper Ucayali River in central Peru. Description: Panaqolus albivermis is diagnosed from all other Panaqolus except P. maccus by having head, body, and fins with widely separated small white to yellow spots, vermiculations, and/or thin oblique bands on a black base (vs. exclusively small white to yellow spots on a black base in P. albomaculatus, generally broad oblique bands of alternating light to dark brown in P. changae, P. gnomus, P. purusiensis, and a uniformly dark grey to black body colour in P. dentex, P. koko, and P. nocturnus); P. albivermis can be diagnosed from P. maccus by having a black base colour (vs. brown), by having parallel dentary tooth cups (vs. acute intermandibular tooth cup angle), and by having a larger known adult body size (95.8 mm SL vs. 84.8). The juveniles of this species have a very bold pattern of light stripes which form into spots and stripes with age. The differences between the Panaqolus and the Panaque genera is that the latter has an oval shaped mouth and the jaws have very large spatulate teeth with a single cusp, arranged in a v form and Panaqolus have a small number of spatulate teeth and are also a smaller genus. Aquarium Care: Peaceful in the aquarium but not suitable for planted tanks as they are plant eaters. Tank set-up should contain wood of some description as the Panaques need this in their diet. Plants will not work too well as they will be eaten so plenty of wood scattered around the tank with a few caves for spawning activities on a sand or small rounded gravel bed will do just fine. Provide strong aeration due to the higher temperatures involved. Diet: All Panaques and also the Panaqolus genera are wood eaters so would need this in an aquarium set-up. Feed also vegetable foods such as cucumber, courgette (zucchini) and sinking tablets. Sexual Differences: Males have long interopercular spines and their body is adorned with hair-like spines. Etymology: The specific name albivermis: Meaning; alba = white and vermis = worm, relating to the white to yellow lines on the body. Remarks: Named to species by Lujan et al, 2013.

Flash Pleco, L204

None

Loricariidae

Peru: Middle to upper Rio Ucayali drainage.

14.0cm. (5½ins)

25-29°c (77-85°f.)

6.0-7.5.

Lujan, NK, S Steele & M Velasquez, 2013. A new distinctively banded species of Panaqolus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the western Amazon Basin in Peru. Zootaxa 3961: 192–198.
Seidel, I. 2008. Back to Nature guide to L-catfishes, Ettlingen, Germany 208 p.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 173. Nov. 2010.
Velasquez, M., Hidalgo del Aguila, M. & Chocano, L. 2016. Panaqolus albivermis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.