SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Rhizosomichthys totae (Miles, 1942)

Image contributors to this species:

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Specimens of R. totae are described as having 8 rings of connective fat encircling the body and two large sections of fat tissue on the posterior part of the back and head. No other trichomycterid has comparable organisation of adipose tissue. Rhizosomichthys totae is a species of catfish of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Rhizosomichthys. This fish grew to about 13.8 centimetres and was endemic to Colombia where it occurred in the Lake Tota basin. The species was last seen in 1957, and only 10 specimens were ever found. The disappearance is possibly linked to the release of 100,000 imported rainbow trout eggs into Lake Tota in 1936. Etymology: Rhizosomichthys; rhizo-, root; soma, body; ichthys, fish, allusion not explained, possibly referring to how this catfish’s unusual body, surrounded by rings of adipose tissue, resembles the rhizome of some unspecified plant. The specific name of totae, that it comes from Lago de Tota, Colombia, the only place this catfish, now extinct, was known to occur. Remarks: This species is listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) because it is known only from Lago de Tota and has been collected in two instances, when it was described in 1942 and again in 1958. The species has not been collected since then, and it is suspected that the introduction in the lake of several fish species in 1944 has caused the decline of the population of this species. In addition, the lake is affected by pollution from agrochemicals from nearby agricultural activities. Surveys in the area in the 1990s failed to record the species in the lake (IUCN 2016).

Common Name:

Fat Catfish

Synonyms:

Pygidium totae, Trichomycterus totae

Family:

Trichomycteridae

Distribution:

South America: Lake Tota basin in Colombia.

Size:

13.8cm. (5½ins)

Temp:

25-28°c (77-83°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

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, Carl J. Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 07/2023 ).
Mesa-Salazar, L. & Mojica, J. 2016. Rhizosomichthys totae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
Sawatzky, Katie Doke. July 27, 2023. The skinny on the search for the Fat Catfish. re: wild.
The ETYFish Project. Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

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

Rhizosomichthys totae
Preserved specimen-Lago de Tota at head of Rio Upia (a trib. of Rio Meta), Eastern Andes

Rhizosomichthys totae
Preserved specimen, ventral view-Lago de Tota at head of Rio Upia (a trib. of Rio Meta), Eastern Andes

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.