SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Scobinancistrus aureatus Burgess, 1994

Image contributors to this species:

Danny Blundell (5) Allan James (1) Chris Ralph (4) Yann Fulliquet (1) Dimitris Lysikatos (1) Haakon Haagensen (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: The body shape of Scobiancistrus aureatus is described as being elongate and flattened and the body is completely covered with small spines. The mouth is described as being inferior with lips forming a disc-like shape and the teeth are arranged in rows. The eyes have a peg-shaped iris lobe which is typical of most species of Loricariid. The adipose fin consists of a spiny projection which supports a membrane. S.aureatus has distinctive nasal flutes. Aquarium Care: Scobiancistrus aureatus is an ideal addition to an aquarium containing such fish as South American cichlids, discus and angelfish, just as long as the other occupants are not too aggressive and can withstand the higher water temperatures. They will get territorial as they mature. Sexual Diffences: The males tend to be more slender and larger than the females. The males tend to develop bristles around the cheeks and head, with larger spines or odontodes being present along the leading edge of the pectoral fin ray. Diet: Readily accepts a mixed and varied diet which includes sinking foods such as catfish pellets, frozen bloodworm and any other good quality foods which sink to the substrate. These catfish also have a preference to feed upon meatier foods such as dead fish, mussels and prawns. Etymology: The specific name aureatus: Which means golden, which is referring to the golden coloured finnage.

Common Name:

Goldie Pleco, Sunshine Pleco, L014

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

Brazil: Namely the Rio Xingu and Para in Brazil. The type locality for Scobiancistrus aureatus is documented as being the Ihla da Fazenda.

Size:

30.0cm. (12ins)

Temp:

25-29°c (77-85°f)

p.H.

5.8-7.2.

IUCN Red List

Scobinancistrus aureatus is endemic to Brazil and is distributed along the Xingu River, mainly in the Volta Grande region, as well as at the mouth of the Iriri River in the state of Pará. It is an abundant and frequent species, associated with rocky and rapid environments. Specimens are collected for the aquarium market, but this apparently does not represent a significant impact on the species. Currently, the main threat is related to the construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. Of the stretch of river where S. aureatus has confirmed records, approximately 34% will be impacted by this project. This impact will be even greater if other large dams are built in the area where the species occurs. Therefore, there will be a considerable loss of habitat, with a decrease in the area occupied by S. aureatus, resulting in a suspected population reduction of more than 30% over three generational periods (35 years). For this reason, Scobinancistrus aureatus has been categorised as Vulnerable (VU) under criterion A3c (IUCN 2022).

Reference:

Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). 2022. Scobinancistrus aureatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 122. August 2006.

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

Scobinancistrus aureatus

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Head view

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Head on shot

Scobinancistrus aureatus

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Showing teeth with two spatulate cusps

Scobinancistrus aureatus

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Mouth view

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Head view

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Odontodes on pectorals

Scobinancistrus aureatus
Head view

Scobinancistrus aureatus

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.