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Steve Pritchard (1) Everisto Garcia (2)

The genera Parastegophilus and Pseudostegophilus have lacked adequate phylogenetic definition, and the species originally described in Homodiaetus (e.g., H. haemomyzon) and Pseudostegophilus (e.g., P. paulensis) have been serendipitously moved between both genera, highlighting uncertain and different classification criteria throughout their taxonomic histories. The most recent concept of Pseudostegophilus, albeit not explicitly defined (de Pinna and Wosiacki, 2003), is proposed here to include in its synonymy the genus Parastegophilus, based on three unique synapomorphies shared by all species currently assigned to both genera. Pseudostegophilus maculatus enters the gill chamber of Luciopimelodus pati and feeds on the gills. Not recommended for the home aquaria with other fish but if kept would do better on its own with its own kind. Description: There is a patch of about seven thorn-like opercular spines and another patch of approximately nine interopercular spines. These are erectile, and by first erecting these on one side and then those on the opposite side, the fish is able to inch its way forward into narrow openings. The sub-family Stegophilinae have sucking mouths with which they can hang on to the bodies of other fishes. Diet: Difficult to feed with aquarium made foods as this is a species that feeds of fish, scales and body mucus so certainly a catfish for the specialist. Remarks: DoNascimiento, C. (2015): has placed Parastegophilus in the synonymy of Pseudostegophilus.

Spotted parasitic catfish

Homodiaetus maculatus, Stegophilus maculatus, Parastegophilus maculatus.

Trichomycteridae

South America: Lower Paraná and Uruguay River basins, Argentina. Type locality: La Plata, Prov. of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

6.0cm. (2½ins)

16-26°c (59-79°f.)

6.0-7.0.

Catfish Association Great Britain. Volume1. 1983.
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.
DoNascimiento, C. (2015): Morphological evidence for the monophyly of the subfamily of parasitic catfishes Stegophilinae (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae) and phylogenetic diagnoses of its genera. Copeia 103 (4): 933–960.
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. 2006. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.  www.fishbase.org, version (02/2006).
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2018. Pseudostegophilus maculatus (a catfish, no common name). Web Version, 4/4/2018.
www.pecescriollos.de