Description:
Ancistrus trinitatis can be separated from all
other species in the region except A.
brevifilis, A.
leucostictus, and A.
saudades by having large light
spots or blotches on the dorsal and caudal fins; from
all Ancistrus in the region by having black
spots centered on the caudal-fin rays basally and
white spots centered on the rays distally (vs. tiny
white or yellow spots randomly placed, or large white
spots centered on the membranes); from A. brevifilis
by having the spots on the caudal fin generally smaller
and better organized into rows (vs. at least some
spots on the caudal fin combining across rows and
running about half the length of the caudal fin);
and from A. brevifilis, A. leucostictus,
A. saudades, and A.
triradiatus by lacking
spots only on the dorsal fin rays (vs. spots centered
on membranes). Aquarium Care: The
Ancistrus genera make good community fish
where they do not grow too big for the aquarium. Some
species have different requirements in the aquarium
so best to read up on the species you have whereas
if they need higher oxygen requirements or not, or
if they prefer cooler waters if they originate from
the southern parts of South America against the species
from further up north. Diet: Vegetable
foods such as cucumber and courgette and also tablet
and meaty foods. Reproduction: Lay
their eggs in caves as a cluster and the first signs
of the breeding process is a few tiny fry darting
around the community tank. Etomology:
Named from the type locality
of the island of Trinidad. Remarks:
See comments on types and question about validity
of species in Regan (1904b: footnote on p. 238; 1906:
95). Generic allocation based on Armbruster (2004a:
13), although Armbruster (2005: 567) suggests that
even that is uncertain.
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
Chaetostomus trinitatis
Family:
Loricariidae
Distribution:
Trinidad
Island, Trinidad and Tobago. Type
locality: Trinidad. Syntypes: based on specimens
reported on by Gill (1858: 409) as Ancistrus guacharote,
possibly deposited at USNM, but whereabouts unknown.
Size:
10.0cm. (4ins)
Temp:
22-27°c (71-81°f.)
p.H.
6.0-7.2.
Reference:
Ferraris, C.J. Jr.,
2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes:
Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary
types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628. Fisch-Muller, S.,
2003. Loricariidae-Ancistrinae (Armored catfishes).
p. 373-400. 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. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.
2018. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, ( 10/2018 ). Souza, LS de; Taphorn,
DC & Armbruster, JW,
2019 "Review of Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
from the northwestern Guiana Shield, Orinoco Andes,
and adjacent basins with description of six new species"
(abstract) (Zootaxa, Vol. 4552 No. 1).
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