Acanthicus
Encyclopedia
Acanthicus is a genus
of catfish
es (order
Siluriformes) of the family
Loricariidae
. It includes two species
, A. adonis and A. hystrix.
The name Acanthicus is derived from the Greek
, akanthikos meaning thorny, spiny. Fish of this genus are known as Lyre tail plecos. A. hystrix may also be known as L155 by the L-number
system.
and Orinoco
rivers of South America
and possibly in Guyana
. A. adonis is from the lower Tocantins River
basin in Brazil
while A. hystrix is from the Amazon River basin.
, but are also reported to grow much larger to 100 cm (39 in) SL. A. hystrix has a maximum recorded length of about 53.0 cm (20.8 in) SL but is reported to grow up to 70 cm (28 in) TL
.
These fish are relatively slender, spiny Loricariids that lack an adipose fin. The caudal fin possesses long filamentous lobes on the upper and lower margins and is forked. The pectoral fin spines are extremely long. The entire dorsal surface of the head is covered in stout, sharp odontode
s. The odontodes form a sharp keel on the lateral plates and, in juveniles, there are few to no odontodes on the plates above and below the keel rows. The cheek odontodes are fairly thin, but numerous. Males may have more and longer cheek odontodes and greatly elongated odontodes on the pectoral fin spine.
The colour of these fish is typically black, sometimes gray, with the abdomen the same color as the rest of the body. A. adonis shows white spots on a black background in juveniles; the adults lack these whie spots, but are pitch black, unlike other Acanthicus species.
and aufwuchs
.
fishkeeping
hobby
. It is a generalist or opportunist feeder and will accept most kinds of fish food
. Objects in the aquarium should be stable so that they are not knocked over by these fish. These fish are rather territorial and must be kept in a large aquarium with many refuges; care should be taken when keeping these fish with other loricariids as this has been known to result in death of one or both fish. They require well-filtered water. They have been bred in captivity.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
es (order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Siluriformes) of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Loricariidae
Loricariidae
Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish , with almost 700 species and new species being described each year. Loricariids originate from fresh water habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and...
. It includes two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, A. adonis and A. hystrix.
The name Acanthicus is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, akanthikos meaning thorny, spiny. Fish of this genus are known as Lyre tail plecos. A. hystrix may also be known as L155 by the L-number
L-number
The L-number system is a semi-scientific classification system of catfish based on photographs of shipments of tropical catfish of the family Loricariidae published by the aquarium magazine DATZ ....
system.
Distribution
They are native to the AmazonAmazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
and Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
rivers of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and possibly in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
. A. adonis is from the lower Tocantins River
Tocantins River
The Tocantins is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" . It runs from south to north for about 2,640 km. It is not really a branch of the Amazon River, although usually so considered, since its waters flow into the...
basin in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
while A. hystrix is from the Amazon River basin.
Description
Acanthicus are large species that may grow up to 1 metre (39 in). A. adonis grows up to about 20.6 centimetres (8.11 in) SLFish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
, but are also reported to grow much larger to 100 cm (39 in) SL. A. hystrix has a maximum recorded length of about 53.0 cm (20.8 in) SL but is reported to grow up to 70 cm (28 in) TL
Fish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
.
These fish are relatively slender, spiny Loricariids that lack an adipose fin. The caudal fin possesses long filamentous lobes on the upper and lower margins and is forked. The pectoral fin spines are extremely long. The entire dorsal surface of the head is covered in stout, sharp odontode
Odontode
Odontodes, or dermal teeth, are hard structures found on the external surfaces of animals or near internal openings. They comprise a soft pulp surrounded by dentine and covered by a mineralized substance such as enamel, a structure similar to that of teeth. They generally do not have the same...
s. The odontodes form a sharp keel on the lateral plates and, in juveniles, there are few to no odontodes on the plates above and below the keel rows. The cheek odontodes are fairly thin, but numerous. Males may have more and longer cheek odontodes and greatly elongated odontodes on the pectoral fin spine.
The colour of these fish is typically black, sometimes gray, with the abdomen the same color as the rest of the body. A. adonis shows white spots on a black background in juveniles; the adults lack these whie spots, but are pitch black, unlike other Acanthicus species.
Ecology
Acanthicus species are found in large rivers. Fish of this genera are omnivorous, juveniles feed on algaeAlgae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and aufwuchs
Aufwuchs
Aufwuchs is a term used to cover the small animals and plants that encrust hard substrates, such as rocks, in aquatic environments. The name originated as a German term literally meaning "surface growth" or "overgrowth", and is frequently mis-spelled "awfuchs" or similar due to the unusual "-ufw-"...
.
In the aquarium
A. adonis is an ornamental fish in the aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fishkeeping
Fishkeeping
Fishkeeping is a popular hobby concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a fishkeeping industry, as a branch of agriculture.-Types of fishkeeping systems:...
hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
. It is a generalist or opportunist feeder and will accept most kinds of fish food
Fish food
Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish...
. Objects in the aquarium should be stable so that they are not knocked over by these fish. These fish are rather territorial and must be kept in a large aquarium with many refuges; care should be taken when keeping these fish with other loricariids as this has been known to result in death of one or both fish. They require well-filtered water. They have been bred in captivity.