Loricariichthys
Encyclopedia
Loricariichthys is a genus
of catfish
es (order
Siluriformes) of the family
Loricariidae
.
; this group also includes the genera Furcodontichthys, Hemiodontichthys, Limatulichthys, and Pseudoloricaria. Loricariichthys seems to be intermediate between Limatulichthys and Pseudoloricaria on one hand, and Furcodontichthys and Hemiodontichthys on the other. Although this genus is well diagnosed, the species are very similar and difficult to identify.
-Andean
freshwater drainages north of Buenos Aires
. Loricariichthys is widely distributed in the Amazon
basin, the Paraná
system, and coastal rivers of the Guyana and Brazil
ian Shields.
, consisting of a double respiratory purse connected to the distal end of the esophagus
, is present in a number of species of Loricariichthys.
The lower lip of immature males and females has two thick, cushionlike structures, which are covered with small papilla
e and have irregular fringes along the posterior edge. However, in nuptial males of Loricariichthys, the cushionlike structures on the lower lip recede or even disappear, and the lip becomes wider and longer and becomes smooth or covered with minute papillae. Males use this enlarged lower lip to clasp and carry a cluster of developing egg
s. This method of carrying eggs is possibly a strategy to protect the eggs from predation
, since these fishes commonly live in exposed sandy- or muddy-bottomed environments devoid of places to hide.
A diploid number of 2n = 56 has been reported for two species characterized. A ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system
was also reported for L. platymetopon.
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...
.
Taxonomy
This genus is part of the Loricariichthys group within the subfamily LoricariinaeLoricariinae
Loricariinae is a subfamily of the family Loricariidae of catfish . This subfamily is divided into two tribes and about 30 genera.-Taxonomy:...
; this group also includes the genera Furcodontichthys, Hemiodontichthys, Limatulichthys, and Pseudoloricaria. Loricariichthys seems to be intermediate between Limatulichthys and Pseudoloricaria on one hand, and Furcodontichthys and Hemiodontichthys on the other. Although this genus is well diagnosed, the species are very similar and difficult to identify.
Distribution
Loricariichthys is distributed in most major cisCis
Cis may have the following meanings:* "Cis-" as a prefix of Latin origin, meaning "on the same side [as]" or "on this side [of]", with several derived usages:** In chemistry, cis- refers to cis-trans isomerism...
-Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
freshwater drainages north of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Loricariichthys is widely distributed in the Amazon
Amazon 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...
basin, the Paraná
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
system, and coastal rivers of the Guyana and 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...
ian Shields.
Description
An accessory respiration organRespiration organ
Respiratory organs are used by most, or all, animals to exchange the gases necessary for their life function known as respiration...
, consisting of a double respiratory purse connected to the distal end of the esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
, is present in a number of species of Loricariichthys.
The lower lip of immature males and females has two thick, cushionlike structures, which are covered with small papilla
Papilla (fish mouth structure)
The papilla, in certain kinds of fish, particularly rays, sharks, and catfish, are small lumps of dermal tissue found in the mouth, where they are "distributed uniformly on the tongue, palate, and pharynx"...
e and have irregular fringes along the posterior edge. However, in nuptial males of Loricariichthys, the cushionlike structures on the lower lip recede or even disappear, and the lip becomes wider and longer and becomes smooth or covered with minute papillae. Males use this enlarged lower lip to clasp and carry a cluster of developing egg
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...
s. This method of carrying eggs is possibly a strategy to protect the eggs from predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
, since these fishes commonly live in exposed sandy- or muddy-bottomed environments devoid of places to hide.
A diploid number of 2n = 56 has been reported for two species characterized. A ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system
Sex-determination system
A sex-determination system is a biological system that determines the development of sexual characteristics in an organism. Most sexual organisms have two sexes. In many cases, sex determination is genetic: males and females have different alleles or even different genes that specify their sexual...
was also reported for L. platymetopon.