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Miuroglanis platycephalus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889

Image contributors to this species:

Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University (3 = BY-NC-SA/3.0)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

This species in monotypic (having only one type or representative, especially (of a genus) containing only one species). Habitat: Miuroglanis platycephalus was recently found in small, clear water streams with sandy bottoms and leaf litter on the banks (Rapp Py-Daniel comm. pers. 2013). Etymology: The genus name Miuroglanis: Greek, mys = muscle, mouse + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish. Glanis was the sacred spirit of springs in the town of Glanum and there was the Glanicae, a triad of local mother goddesses. The Specific name platycephalus: Flat (broad or wide) head.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Trichomycteridae

Distribution:

South America: Solimões River basin, upper Amazon River basin, Brazil and Bolivia. Type locality: Brazil: Estado de São Paulo: Município de Pedro de Toledo, Rio São Lourencinho, no Bairro São Lourenço.

Size:

1.2cm. (¾ins)

Temp:

22-26°c (71-79°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

IUCN Red List

Miuroglanis platycephalus is endemic to Brazil and was described based on a specimen from the Jutaí River, Amazonas state. Additional records exist for the Coari area and the Jatapu, Madeira, and Purus rivers, all based on a few specimens. A large portion of these more recent records comes from already protected areas (Sustainable Development Reserve and Extractive Reserve). Despite being infrequent and not very abundant, no threats to its population have been identified to date. Therefore, M. platycephalus has been categorised as Least Concern (LC), (IUCN 2022).

Reference:

Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). 2022. Miuroglanis platycephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
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.
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. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 11/2025 ).

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

Miuroglanis platycephalus
Lateral view

Miuroglanis platycephalus
Ventral head view

Miuroglanis platycephalus
Dorsal head view

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