Ancistrus brevifilis
| Ancistrus brevifilis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. brevifilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus brevifilis C. H. Eigenmann, 1920[2] | |
Ancistrus brevifilis is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Hypostominae, the suckermouth catfishes. This catfish is endemic to Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Ancistrus brevifilis was first formally described in 1920 by the German American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann with its type locality given as the Río Tiquirito at El Consejo, Venezuela.[2] Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classified the genus Ancistrus in the subfamily Hypostominae, the suckermouth catfishes, within the suckermouth armored catfish family Loricariidae.[3] It has also been classified in the tribe Ancistrini by some authorities.[4]
Etymology
Ancistrus brevifilis is classified in the genus Ancistrus, a name coined by Rudolf Kner but when he proposed the genus Kner did not explain the etymology of the name. It is thought to be from the Greek ágkistron, meaning a "fish hook" or the "hook of a spindle", a reference to the hooked odontodes on the interopercular bone. The specific name, brevifilis, means "short thread" an allusion to the short paired or grouped tentacles on the snout of this species.[5]
Description
Ancistrus brevifilis has short paired or grouped tentacles on their snout.[5] This species reaches a standard length of 11.8 cm (4.6 in).[6]
Distribution and habit
Ancistrus brevifilis is endemic to Venezuela where it is known with certainty only from the basin of the Tuy River basin in the north of that nation. The catfishes of the genus Ancistrus are typically found along with the banks of rivers and streams where the water is clear and torrential. They feed on periphyton on wood or aquatic macrophytes.[1]
Conservation status
Ancistrus brevifilis has a restricted range, where its habitat is under anthropogenic threats from agriculture and urbanisation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature have classified this species as Vulnerable.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Perez, A. (2023). "Ancistrus brevifilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T176013054A176013058. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T176013054A176013058.en. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- 1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ancistrus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Hypostominae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Armbruster, J. W. and N. K. Lujan (2025). "New tribe-level classification of Hypostominae (Loricariidae) based on optimization of morphological states on DNA-based relationships, with descriptions of three new tribes and two new genera". Neotropical Ichthyology. 22 (4)): 1–32. doi:10.1590/1982-0224-2024-0108.
- 1 2 Christopher Scharpf (18 January 2026). "Family LORICARIIDAE: Subfamily HYPOSTOMINAE Kner 1853 (Suckermouth Catfishes or Plecos)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ancistrus brevifilis". FishBase. February 2026 version.