Ancistrus formoso
| Ancistrus formoso | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. formoso |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus formoso Sabino & Trajano, 1997[2] | |
Ancistrus formoso 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 a cavefish which is endemic to Brazil.
Taxonomy
Ancistrus formoso was first formally described in 1997 by the Brazilian ichthyologists José Sabino and Eleanora Trajano with its type locality given as the Buraco do Ducho cave, in the Serra da Bodoquena, Bonito, at 21°08'S, 56°28'W, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.[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 formoso is classified in the genus Ancistrus, a name coined by Rudolf Kner when he proposed the genus but 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, formoso, refers to the Formoso groundwater system in the Formoso River basin in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.[5]
Description
Ancistrus formoso reaches a standard length of 7.9 cm (3.1 in).[6] Ancistrus species develop soft, bushy tentacles on the snout when sexually mature, these are better developed in the males than they are in females.[7] Alongside Ancistrus galani and A. cryptophthalmus, this species displays characteristics unusual among loricariids, such as reduced pigmentation and atrophied eyes, which are adaptations to a subterranean habitat that can be found in various types of cavefish.[8]
Distribution and habit
Ancistrus formoso is endemic to Brazil where it is known to occur only in flooded caves in the Formoso River system, the re-emergencies of the Formoso and Formosinho Rivers, and the Buraco do Ducho cave, a karst area of the Serra da Bodoquena in the upper Paraguay River basin, in Bonito and Jardim in Mato Grosso do Sul. This catfish is found in flooded caves, but it is not as photophobic as other cavefishes, but shows a strong prefernce for caves.[1]
Conservation status
Ancistrus formose is restricted to the Formoso River cave system which lies outside the boundaries of the Serra da Bodoquena National Parkin Mato Grosso do Sul. Limestone quarrying for cement manufacture is growing in the area, and this could impact this species in future.The cave system should be protected by expanding the National Park or by creating an adjacent conservation unit. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as Vulnerable.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2021). "Ancistrus formoso". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (in Portuguese). 2021 e.T134660173A134660177. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T134660173A134660177.pt. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- 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 28 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 28 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.
- ↑ 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 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ancistrus formoso". FishBase. February 2026 version.
- ↑ "Cat-eLog LORICARIIDAE Hypostominae Ancistrus formoso". PlanetCatfish.com. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ Perez, Alfredo; Viloria, Ángel (January 1994). "Ancistrus galani n. sp. (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), with comments on biospeleological explorations in western Venezuela". Mémoires de Biospéologie. 21 – via ResearchGate.