Parotocinclus cristatus
| Parotocinclus cristatus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Parotocinclus |
| Species: | P. cristatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Parotocinclus cristatus | |
Parotocinclus cristatus is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae, the cascudinhos. This catfish is endemic to Brazil.
Taxonomy
Parotocinclus cristatus was first formally described in 1977 by the Brazilian ichthyologist Julio C. Garavello with its type locality given as the Fazenda Almada, Ilhéus in the Brazilian state of Bahia.[2] Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classifies the genus Parotocinclus in the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae, the cascudinhos, within the suckermouth armored catfish family Loricariidae.[3]
Etymology
Parotocinclus cristatus is classified in the genus Parotocinclus, is a combination of para, meaning "near", and the genus Otocinclus, the genus the type species, P. maculicauda was originally thought to be a member of. The specific name, cristatus, means "crested", thought to be an allusion to te tuft of denticles on the supraoccipital bone.[4]
Parotocinclus cristatus is sometimes referred to as the dwarf pleco, although the term "pleco" (a shortened form of "plecostomus") is generally used to refer only to members of the subfamily Hypostominae, and its use to refer to other loricariids is less common.[5] Despite this, "dwarf pleco" is sometimes applied to the genus Parotocinclus as a whole, including in academic literature.[6]
Description
Parotocinclus cristatus reaches a standard length of 4 cm (1.6 in).[7] This species has 22 or 23 plates along its lateral line, the underside is covered in large plates between the coracoids the anal fin, between 3 qand 5 large plates to the side and tow series of irregular central plates. The premaxilla has between 26 and 30 teeth while the dentary has between 24 and 28.[8]
Distribution
Parotocinclus cristatus is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Almada River and drainages in the vicinity of Ilheus in Bahia. This species occurs in rivers with flowing water, where there are pools and rapids, a streambed made up of sand, gravel and rocks, and riparian vegetation ranging from conserved intact Atlantic forest to secondary forest.[1]
References
- 1 2 Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2022). "Parotocinclus cristatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (in Portuguese). 2022 e.T186645A1816232. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T186645A1816232.pt. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- 1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Parotocinclus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Hypoptopomatinae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ Christopher Scharpf (28 February 2026). "Family LORICARIIDAE: Subfamily HYPOPTOPOMATINAE Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1890 (Cascudinhos)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Parotocinclus cristatus • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog". www.planetcatfish.com. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ↑ Pereira de Sousa, João & Bitencourt, Jamille & Sampaio, Iracilda & Schneider, Horacio & Affonso, Paulo. (2021). “More than meets the eye”: phylogeographic inferences and remarkable cryptic diversity and in endemic catfish Parotocinclus (Loricariidae: Hypoptopomatinae) from neglected and impacted basins in South America. Conservation Genetics. 22. 10.1007/s10592-021-01336-3.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Parotocinclus cristatus". FishBase. February 2026 version.
- ↑ Julio C. Garavello (1977). "Systematics and geographical distribution of the genus Parotocinclus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889 (Ostariophysi, Loricariidae)". Arquivos de Zoologia (São Paulo). 28 (4): 1–37.