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Yann Fulliquet (3) Mark Henry Sabaj (1)

Description: The genera Paralithoxus has been reserected in a new paper (2018) by Lujan et al. Paralithoxus can be diagnosed from other members of Lithoxini by having at most low hemispherical papillae around the oral disc margin (vs. digitate papillae in Exastilithoxus), 14 (rarely 13) branched caudal-fin rays (vs. 12 in Avalithoxus), five branched anal-fin rays (vs. four in Avalithoxus and Lithoxus), seven to nine interdorsal plates (vs. five in Avalithoxus and Lithoxus), and five rows of plates on the caudal peduncle (vs. three in Avalithoxus and Lithoxus). Similar to P. surinemensis from the same locations but P. pallidimaculatus has more operecular odontodes and is lighter coloured. Does not possess an adipose fin. Habitat: Inhabits stony rivulets and has been collected in little forest tributaries (3 to 4m wide) with shallow depth, rocky bottom, strong current, often with cascades. Likewise, during the dry season, it has been found in a split brook with very little water input, where only 2 species of Rivulus (R. igneus and R. cladophorus were present, thus suggesting that Paralithoxus is a pioneer species which is capable of colonising difficult environments which are nutritionally poor. Aquarium Care: Quite a demanding genera which need pure, oxygen rich water. They need plenty of hiding places and the aquarium to be very strongly filtered. Diet: Insectivores that feed in their natural habitat from insect larvae on rocks. Feed Frozen mosquito larvae, brine shrimp and Daphnia. They will also except tablet foods. Etymology: The specific species name for pallidimaculatus refers to the bright spots on the body. Remarks: Still found on some online sources as Lithoxus planquettei.

L044, Planquette's rapids pleco.

Lithoxus planquettei

Loricariidae

South America: Atlantic coastal drainages from Maroni to Kaw River basins, French Guiana. Type locality: Crique Boulenger, Comté system, French Guyana.

7.0cm. (2¾ins)

23-27°c (73-81°f)

6.0-7.5.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2021 ).
Le Bail, P.-Y., P. Keith and P. Planquette, 2000. Atlas des poissons d'eau douce de Guyane. Tome 2, Fascicule II: Siluriformes. Collection Patrimoines Naturels 43(II): 307p. Paris: Publications scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
Lujan, NK; Armbruster, JW & Lovejoy, NR, 2018 "Multilocus phylogeny, diagnosis and generic revision of the Guiana Shield endemic suckermouth armored catfish tribe Lithoxini (Loricariidae: Hypostominae)" (Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 20).
Seidel, I. 2008. Back to Nature guide to L-catfishes, Ettlingen, Germany 208 p.