SCOTCAT.COM  

Danny Blundell (4) Allan James (1) Haakon Haagensen (1)

The work carried out by Covain et.al. 2016 confines the Sturisoma genera to west of the Andes (trans-Andean), and the Sturisomatichthys genera restricted to the east of the Andes (cis-Andean). Habitat: S. nigrirostrum's natural habitat is described as mostly soft water backwaters in which there are no water plants although the banks are overgrown with Pistia or Eichornia. Branches extending below the surface and driftwood on the bottom serve as surfaces that the fish can scour for aufwuchs and this fish can actually scrape off some of the wood itself as an aid in digestion. One of the more easier Sturisoma species to identify due to its short slightly turned up black snout. Aquarium Care: Good filtration and not to be crowded in the tank as Nitrate levels should be kept low. Sexual Differences: Can be sexed out by the male having bristles on the cheeks. Diet: Vegetarian with Lettuce, algae (real or tablets/wafers) sweet potatoes, cuccumber and mashed peas.

Black-Nosed Sturisoma

Sturisoma brevirostre

Loricariidae

South America: Peru, Ucayali river basin. Type locality: Ucayali River basin, Contamana, Peru.

22.0cm. (8¾ins)

25-30°c (77-87°f)

6.0-7.0.

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1985 Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
Burgess, W.E. 1989 An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey (USA). 784 p.
Covain, R., S. Fisch-Muller, C. Oliveira, J.H. Mol, J.I. Montoya-Burgos and S. Dray, 2015. Molecular phylogeny of the highly diversified catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) reveals incongruences with morphological classification. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 94:492-517.