Ancistrus lithurgicus
| Ancistrus lithurgicus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. lithurgicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus lithurgicus C. H. Eigenmann, 1912[2] | |
Ancistrus lithurgicus 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 Guyana.
Taxonomy
Ancistrus lithurgicus was first formally described in 1912 by the German-American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann, with its type locality given as Crab Falls, Essequibo River, Guyana, at roughly 5.403128, -58.820068.[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 lithurgicus 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, lithurgicus, is an adjective derived from the Latin lithurgus, meaning a "stoneworker", an allusion Eigenmann did not explain, bit it may be an allusion to the type locality being a waterfall, the catfish possibly using its suckermouth to cling to rocks in the falls.[5]
Description
Ancistrus lithurgicus can be told apart from other Guianan shield Ancistrusspecies, by having a very flattened body and eyes placed high on the head. It is black in colour with white or gold spots and does not have any saddle marks across its back. [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 reaches a standard length of 13.2 cm (5.2 in).[8]
Distribution and habitat
Ancistrus lithurgicus is endemic to Guyana where it occurs in the Essequibo River and the Berbice River. It is a highly flattened specuies which lives in rapids.[1]
References
- 1 2 Armbruster, J.W. (2023). "Ancistrus lithurgicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T176170353A176170507. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T176170353A176170507.en. Retrieved 24 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 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Lesley de Souza; Donald C. Taphorn & Jonathan W. Armbruster (2019). "Review of Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the northwestern Guiana Shield, Orinoco Andes, and adjacent basins with description of six new species". Zootaxa. 4552 (1): 1–67. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4552.1.1.
- ↑ "Cat-eLog LORICARIIDAE Hypostominae Ancistrus lithurgicus". PlanetCatfish.com. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ancistrus lithurgicus". FishBase. February 2026 version.