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Lasiancistrus heteracanthus (Günther, 1869)

Image contributors to this species:

Haakon Haagensen (2) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (4)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: This species can be distinguished from L. caucanus, L. saetiger, and L. tentaculatus by having abdominal plates (vs. absent), from L. schomburgkii and L. saetiger by having dark spots in the dorsal and caudal fins (vs. white spots or all dark); and from L. guacharote by not having the abdominal plates restricted to a region near the insertion of the pectoral-fin spine. The Lasiancistrus species are quite similar to the Ancistrus genus but have a flatter profile and do not possess the tentacles on the mouths of this genera. Sexual Differences: Males have longer pectoral fins and have a heavier growth of odontodes behind the gill covers and on the edges of the snout. Aquarium Care: Relatively easy to keep but large males may tend to be territorial. Diet: Herbivore: vegetarian food, tablets and pellets, insect larvae, zooplankton and soft wood. Etymology: The specific name heteracanthus: héteros, different; acanthus, from ákantha, thorn, referring to two kinds of spines on interoperculum: a group of ~12 slender but stiff and slightly hooked spines surrounded by a ring of long setiform spine.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Chaetostomus heteracanthus

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

South America: Upper Río Napo of Ecuador and the lower Río Napo of Peru. Type locality: Upper Amazons, Peruvian Amazons.

Size:

18.0cm. (7ins)

Temp:

25-29°c (77-85°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

IUCN Red List

The species is listed as Least Concern because it has a wide range and is not exposed to any major threat. Needs updating (IUCN 2016).

Reference:

Armbruster, J.W., 2005. The loricariid catfish genus Lasiancistrus (Siluriformes) with descriptions of two new species. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 3(4):549-569.
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. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Hidalgo del Aguila, M., Chocano, L., Velasquez, M., Arguello, P. & Jimenez-Prado, P. 2016. Lasiancistrus heteracanthus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

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

Lasiancistrus heteracanthus

Lasiancistrus heteracanthus

Lasiancistrus heteracanthus
Dorsal view

Lasiancistrus heteracanthus
Mouth view

Lasiancistrus heteracanthus
Ventral view

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