Ancistrus latifrons
| Ancistrus latifrons | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. latifrons |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus latifrons | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Ancistrus latifrons 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 found in South America.
Taxonomy
Ancistrus latifrons was first formally described as Chaetostomus latifrons in 1869 by the German-born British herpetologist and ichthyologist Albert Günther, with its type locality given as the upper Amazon River in Peru.[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 latifrons is classified in the genus Ancistrus, a name coined by Rudolf Kner, but when he proposed the genus he 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, latifrons, combines latus, meaning "wide" or "broad", with frons, which means "forehead", an allusion to the wide interorbital space.[5]
Description
Ancistrus latifrons reaches a standard length of 15.4 cm (6.1 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] This catfish has wide interopercular space, for which it is named.[5]
Distribution
Ancistrus latifrons is found the upper Amazon basin in Ecuador and Peru, and the upper Solimões River in Brazil. [1]
References
- 1 2 Varella, H.R. (2023). "Ancistrus latifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T49830639A178113081. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830639A178113081.en. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ancistrus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 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 30 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 30 May 2026.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ancistrus latifrons". FishBase. February 2026 version.
- ↑ "Cat-eLog LORICARIIDAE Hypostominae Ancistrus latifrons". PlanetCatfish.com. Retrieved 30 May 2026.