Lophiosilurus alexandri
Encyclopedia
Lophiosilurus alexandri is a species
of catfish
(order
Siluriformes) of the family
Pseudopimelodidae
, and the only species of the monotypic
genus
Lophiosilurus.
in Brazil
. Here, it is commonly known as pacamã. It prefers lentic
habitats. This species has been introduced
into the Doce River
basin, but its effect on the native species has not been studied.
s (28 in
) TL
and has a maximum published weight of 5,000 gram
s (11 lb
). It has an extremely large mouth, earning it the name Pac-Man catfish.
L. alexandri is a sedentary species. This species has adhesive eggs
and the male displays parental care.
L. alexandri represents an example of parallel evolution
, sharing a similar morphology and lifestyle to species of the distantly related Chaca
catfish.
.
L. alexandri is a rarely imported aquarium
fish. These fish require a sandy substrate
and should not be maintained with fish that it can eat (a fish less than half of its size).
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...
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...
(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...
Pseudopimelodidae
Pseudopimelodidae
Pseudopimelodidae is a small family of catfishes. Some of these fish are popular aquarium fish.-Taxonomy:This family was formerly a subfamily of Pimelodidae. Pseudopimelodidae is a monophyletic group. Previously, the superfamily Pseudopimelodoidea is sister to superfamilies Sisoroidea + Loricarioidea...
, and the only species of the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
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...
Lophiosilurus.
Distribution and habitat
This fish originates from the São Francisco RiverSão Francisco River
The São Francisco is a river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil...
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...
. Here, it is commonly known as pacamã. It prefers lentic
Lentic system ecology
A lentic ecosystem is the ecosystem of a lake, pond or swamp. Included in the environment are the biotic interactions and the abiotic interactions ....
habitats. This species has been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
into the Doce River
Doce River
The Doce River is a river in southeast Brazil, which has an extension of 853 km.It is formed by the junction of the Piranga and the Carmo near the historical city of Ouro Preto, whose sources are located in the foothills of the Mantiqueira and Espinhaço mountain chains at altitudes of about 1,200...
basin, but its effect on the native species has not been studied.
Description and ecology
This fish reaches 72 centimetreCentimetre
A centimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one hundredth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length. Centi is the SI prefix for a factor of . Hence a centimetre can be written as or — meaning or respectively...
s (28 in
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
) 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:...
and has a maximum published weight of 5,000 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s (11 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
). It has an extremely large mouth, earning it the name Pac-Man catfish.
L. alexandri is a sedentary species. This species has adhesive eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
and the male displays parental care.
L. alexandri represents an example of parallel evolution
Parallel evolution
Parallel evolution is the development of a similar trait in related, but distinct, species descending from the same ancestor, but from different clades.-Parallel vs...
, sharing a similar morphology and lifestyle to species of the distantly related Chaca
Chaca (genus)
Chaca is the only genus in the catfish family Chacidae. These fish are commonly known as squarehead catfishes, frogmouth catfishes, or angler catfishes. These unusual fish have a sedentary lifestyle and spend much of their time immobile.The name Chaca is derived from the fact that when removed from...
catfish.
Relationship to humans
L. alexandri has economic potential for aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
.
L. alexandri is a rarely imported aquarium
Aquarium
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...
fish. These fish require a sandy substrate
Substrate (aquarium)
The substrate of an aquarium refers to the material used on the tank bottom. It can affect water chemistry, filtration, and the well-being of the aquarium's inhabitants, and is also an important part of the aquarium's aesthetic appeal...
and should not be maintained with fish that it can eat (a fish less than half of its size).