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Parotocinclus maculicauda (Steindachner, 1877)

Image contributors to this species:

Allan James (2) Chris Ralph (2) Hans-Georg Evers (1) Zierfisch Zentrum Austria (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: To differentiate between Parotocinclus and Otocinclus is comparatively easy as the former has an adipose fin while the latter does not. Dorsal 1/7; Anal 1/5; Pectorals; 1/6; Ventrals 1/5; 24 bony scutes in a lateral series. Aquarium Care: A well known species in the hobby which needs to be kept in cooler temperatures and also good aquarium husbandry with regular water changes and good oxygen content. Diet: They are omnivorous (vegetable and meat diet) and will eat lettuce, cucumber, courgette (zucchini) and also white and grindal worm, frozen bloodworm, flake and tablet food. Etymology: The specific name maculicauda: Meaning Spotted tail. Remarks: It is not clear whether the Parotocinclus species from Sao Paulo is also P. maculicauda.

Common Name:

False sucker

Synonyms:

Otocinclus maculicauda, Parotocinclus steindachneri, Hisonotus maculicauda

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

South America: Brazil, Coastal rivers between Santa Catarina and Rio de Janeiro.

Size:

5.5cm. (2¼ins)

Temp:

20-24°c (67-75°f)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

IUCN Red List

Parotocinclus maculicauda is widely distributed, frequent, and abundant where it occurs. However, the high degree of degradation of the basins where it occurs (from Santa Catarina to the Ribeira de Iguape River basin, São Paulo, and from the north of Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, to the Doce River basin, Espírito Santo) poses widespread threats to the species' various subpopulations. These threats cannot yet be quantified but should be monitored. Because current knowledge of these threats does not indicate a risk of extinction, Parotocinclus maculicauda has been listed as Least Concern (LC), (IUCN 2022).

Reference:

Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944.
Garavello, J.C. (1977) Systematics and geographical distribution of the genus Parotocinlcus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889 (Ostariophysi, Loricariidae). Arq. Zool. S. Paulo 28 (4): 1-37.
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio). 2022. Parotocinclus maculicauda. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
Sands, David: Catfishes of the World vol 4, 1984.
ScotCat Factsheet: no. 041, Nov.1999.
Sterba, Gunther: Freshwater Fishes of the World vol.2. 1973.

Family: Loricariidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Parotocinclus maculicauda

Parotocinclus maculicauda
Ventral view

Parotocinclus maculicauda

Parotocinclus maculicauda
Dorsal view

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