SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Ochmacanthus flabelliferus Eigenmann, 1912

Image contributors to this species:

Montaña, C. G., C. Nimee, S. Scott, et al. 2025 (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Ochmacanthus flabelliferus is a species of parasitic catfish in the Trichomycteridae family, found in the freshwater river drainages of Guyana and Venezuela. A small species, it can grow up to 3.5 cm in total length and is known for a unique arrangement of spines on its head. Diet: It is known for feeding on mucus rather than blood, as indicated by stable isotope analysis, and is considered a top-level consumer in its hyperdiverse community. Etymology: The genus name Ochmacanthus: ochma (Gr.), series; acanthus, from ákantha (Gr.), thorn, presumably referring to nine “claw-like erectile” spines on preopercle, and nine similar spines on opercle above and behind the gill-opening of O. flabilliferus. The specific name flabelliferus: flabellum (L.), a small fan; fero (L.), to have or bear, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “fully developed caudal rays much diverging from a narrow base,” thereby forming a fan-like tail.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Trichomycteridae

Distribution:

South America: River drainages (Guyana and Venezuela). Type locality: Konawaruk, British Guiana.

Size:

3.5cm (1½ins) TL

Temp:

23-26°c (73-79°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

IUCN Red List

Not evaluated.

Reference:

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.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Fish in the News 2025.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 08/2025).
Montaña, C. G., C. Nimee, S. Scott, et al. 2025. “Parasites Are Paramount: Vertical Trophic Positions of Parasitic Catfishes in a Tropical River Food Web.” Ecology of Freshwater Fish 34, no. 4: e70025.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Zuanon, Jansen; Sazima, Ivan (2005). "Free Meals on Long-Distance Cruisers: The Vampire Fish Rides Giant Catfishes in the Amazon" (PDF). Biota Neotropica. 5 (1): 109.

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

Ochmacanthus flabelliferus

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.