Ancistrus nudiceps
| Ancistrus nudiceps | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. nudiceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus nudiceps | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Hypostomus nudiceps J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1849 | |
Ancistrus nudiceps 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 Brazil.
Taxonomy
Ancistrus nudiceps was first formally described as Hypostomus nudiceps in 1849 by the German zoologists Johannes Peter Müller and Franz Hermann Troschel with its type locality given as Takutu in Guyana.[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 nudiceps 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, nudiceps, means "naked head", which runs for one third of the distance between the tip of the snout and the rear margin of the eye.[5]
Description
Ancistrus nudiceps 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]
Distribution and habitat
Ancistrus nudiceps is found in northern South America where it occurs throughout the basin of Essequibo River in Guyana and Venezuela, and in the Takutu River on the border between Brazil and Guyana. This species uses a wide variety of habitats from floodlplain lakes to riffles, this catfish is not as flattened as many Ancistrus species and these deeper bodied species favour slower flowing water more than their flattened congeners.[1]
References
- 1 2 Armbruster, J.W. (2023). "Ancistrus nudiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T177262168A177262359. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T177262168A177262359.en. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- 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 2 June 2026.
- ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Hypostominae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2 June 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 2 June 2026.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ancistrus nudiceps". FishBase. February 2026 version.
- ↑ "Cat-eLog LORICARIIDAE Hypostominae Ancistrus nudiceps". PlanetCatfish.com. Retrieved 2 June 2026.