Ituglanis amazonicus (Steindachner, 1882)
Image contributors to this species:
Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (2) Ivan Mikolji (1)
ScotCat Sources:
Other Sources:
Relative Information:	Lives mainly in little forest creeks with notable current and a sandy-rocky substrate. It is not known whether it feeds on flesh or blood of living animals or it lives on carrion. Opercle hooks enable it to cling to and to dig little tunnels into its prey's flesh. Aquarium Care: Even although this species is termed, along with other members of this family, as parasitic catfishes it is well behaved in the aquarium but is seldom seen until feeding time. Provide caves/pipes for this species. Remarks: These are sometimes sold or seen as I. metae but that species has a more rounded caudal fin (albeit that us not always a reliable indicator as the fin can often be damaged) and also has one more pectoral fin ray (I + 6). I. guayaberensis (Dahl, 1960) also has a similar pattern but that species has even more pectoral fin rays (I + 8). Both I. metae and I. guayaberensis come from further north, in the Orinoco system in Colombia. (Grant, S)
Common Name:	Candiru
Synonyms:	Trichomycterus amazonicus
Family:	Trichomycteridaeipitidae
Distribution:	South America: Amazon River basin, Brazil, and rivers of French Guiana. Type locality: Type locality: Cudajas [Brazil]
Size:	7.5cm. (3ins)
Temp:	25 -28°c (77-83°f.)
p.H.	6.0-7.0.
Reference:	Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944. de Pínna, M.C.C. and W. Wosiacki, 2003. Trichomycteridae (pencil or parasitic catfishes). p. 270-290. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. ScotCat Factsheet: March 2013. Grant, S; Ituglanis amazonicus Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.