Loricariidae

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Loricariidae
Temporal range:
Ma
[1]
Loricaria simillima
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Superfamily: Loricarioidea
Family: Loricariidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Subfamilies

Delturinae
Hypoptopomatinae
Hypostominae

Lithogeneinae

Loricariinae
Neoplecostominae
Otothyrinae (sometimes included in Hypoptopomatinae)
Genus
Nannoplecostomus (incertae sedis)[2]

Loricariidae is the largest and basalmost

genera are sold as "plecos", notably the suckermouth catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, and are popular as aquarium
fish.

Common names

Members of the family Loricariidae are commonly referred to as loricariids, suckermouth catfishes,

armoured catfish, or suckermouth armoured catfish.[4] The name "plecostomus", and its shortened forms "pleco" and "plec", are used for many Loricariidae, since Plecostomus plecostomus (now called Hypostomus plecostomus) was one of the first loricariid species imported for the fish-keeping hobby.[5]

Some loricariids are not normally considered "plecostomus", such as Farlowella catfish.

In their native

range, these fish are known as cascudos or acarís.[6]

L-numbers

Main article: L-number

Some types of loricariids are often referred to by their '

taxonomically described. Currently, L-numbers are used not only by fish-keeping enthusiasts, but also by biologists, since they represent a useful stopgap until a new species of fish is given a full taxonomic name.[7] In some cases, two different L-numbered catfish have turned out to be different populations of the same species, while in other cases, multiple (but superficially similar) species have all been traded under a single L-number. [citation needed
]

Taxonomy and evolution

Because of their highly specialized morphology, loricariids have been recognized as a

Astroblepidae. Some of these families also exhibit suckermouths or armor, although never in the same individual, as in loricariids.[4]

This is the largest

Lithogeneinae, Loricariinae, and Neoplecostominae.[9][10]

Monophyly for the family is strongly supported, except, possibly, the inclusion of

Hypostomini, Pterygoplichthyini, and Rhinelepini, include about 24 genera. The fifth and largest tribe, Ancistrini (formerly recognized as its own subfamily), includes 30 genera.[15]

Loricariid

derived; in this superfamily, the trend is toward increasingly complex jaw morphology, which may have allowed for the great diversification of the Loricariidae, which have the most advanced jaws.[17]

Distribution and habitat

The family Loricariidae is vastly distributed over both the east and west sides of the

freshwater habitats of South America, but several loricariines and hypostomines are native to Panama, and two species (Fonchiiichthys uracanthus and Hemiancistrus aspidolepis) are native to Costa Rica.[19] Species occur in swift-flowing streams from the lowlands up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in elevation.[4] They can also be found in a variety of other freshwater environments.[5] They can be found in torrential mountain rivers, quiet brackish estuaries, black acidic waters, and even in subterranean habitats.[8]

Description and biology

This family has extremely variable color patterns and body shapes.

adipose fin usually has a spine at the forward edge.[4] These fish have, when they are present, a unique pair of maxillary barbels.[4][8] These fish have relatively long intestines due to their usually herbivorous or detrivorous diets.[4] The body is characteristically flattened in this family.[8] Taste buds cover almost the entire surface of the body and fin spines.[21] Body lengths can range from 2.22 cm (0.87 in) in Nannoplecostomus eleonorae to over 100 cm (39 in) in Panaque, Acanthicus, and Pterygoplichthys.[18]

One of the most obvious characteristics of the loricariids is the suckermouth. The modified mouth and lips allow the fish to feed, breathe, and attach to the substrate through suction. The lips were once believed to be unable to function as a sucker while respiration continued, as the inflowing water would cause the system to fail; however, respiration and suction can function simultaneously. Inflowing water passing under the sucker is limited to a thin stream immediately behind each maxillary barbel; the maxillae in loricariids support only small maxillary barbels and are primarily used to mediate the lateral lip tissue in which they are embedded, preventing failure of suction during inspiration[vague]. To achieve suction, the fish presses its lips against the substrate and expands its oral cavity, causing negative pressure.[22]

Also, unlike most other catfishes, the premaxillae are highly mobile, and the lower jaws have evolved towards a medial position, with the teeth pointed rostroventrally; these are important evolutionary innovations.[17] The fish rotates its lower and upper jaws to scrape the substrate. Of the two, the lower jaws are more mobile.[22]

Loricariid catfishes have evolved several modifications of their digestive tracts that function as accessory

Lithoxus, a U-shaped diverticulum in Rhinelepini, and a ring-like diverticulum in Otocinclus. It may be noted that even loricariids with unmodified stomachs have a slight ability to breathe air.[23]

Considerable sexual dimorphism occurs in this family, most pronounced during the breeding season. For example, in Loricariichthys, the male has a large expansion of its lower lip, which it uses to hold a clutch of eggs.[21] Ancistrus males have snouts with fleshy tentacles.[21] In loricariids, odontodes develop almost anywhere on the external surface of the body and first appear soon after hatching; odontodes appear in a variety of shapes and sizes and are often sexually dimorphic, being larger in breeding males.[21] In most Ancistrini species, sharp evertible cheek spines (elongated odontodes) are often more developed in males and are used in intraspecific displays and combat.[21]

Omega iris

The omega iris allows loricariids to adjust the amount of light that enters their eye.

Unusual for

Greek letter omega (Ω). The origins of this structure are unknown, but breaking up the outline of the highly visible eye has been suggested to aid camouflage in what are often highly mottled animals.[24] Species in the tribe Rhinelepini are an exceptional group among loricariids, having a circular iris.[25] The presence or absence of the iris operculum can be used for identification of species in the subfamily Loricariinae.[8]

Genetics

As of 2000, only 56 loricariid species have been cytogenically investigated.

diploid number
ranges from 2n = 52 to 2n = 80. However, the supposed wide karyotypic diversity the family Loricariidae or the subfamily Hypostominae would present is almost exclusively restricted to the genus Hypostomus, and the species from the other genera had a conserved diploid number.[13] In some species, there is a ZZ/ZW sex-determination system.[6][27]

Ecology

Panaque nigrolineatus attached to a piece of wood

The suckermouth exhibited by these catfish allows them to adhere to objects in their habitats, even in fast-flowing waters.[8] The mouth and teeth also are adapted to feed on a variety of foods, such as algae, invertebrates, and detritus.[8] Some species, notably the Panaque, are known for xylophagy, or the ability to digest wood.[28]

Most species of loricariids are

nocturnal animals. Some species are territorial, while others, such as Otocinclus, prefer to live in groups.[5]

Air-breathing is well known among many loricariids; this ability is dependent on the risk of

hypoxia faced by a species; torrent-dwelling species tend to have no ability to breathe air, while low-land, pool-dwelling species, such as those of Hypostomus, have a great ability to breathe air.[23] Pterygoplichthys is known for being kept out of water and sold alive in fish markets, surviving up to 30 hours out of water.[23] Loricariids are facultative air breathers; they will only breathe air if under stress and will only use their gills in situations when oxygen levels are high. The dry season is a likely time for this; there would be little food in the stomach, which would allow its use for air breathing.[23]

Loricariids exhibit a wide range of reproductive strategies, including cavity spawning, attachment of eggs on the underside of rocks, and egg-carrying.[21] Parental care is usually good, and the male guards the eggs and sometimes the larvae.[21] The eggs hatch after four to 20 days, depending on the species.[5]

Three species known from subterranean habitats are true

Amazonian rivers, Peckoltia pankimpuju and Panaque bathyphilus.[32]

In the aquarium

common pleco, is an aquarium fish often purchased as an algae eater
.

Loricariids are popular

vegetarian, omnivore, carnivore or wood-eaters.[33]
A great many species of loricariids are also sold for their ornamental qualities, representing many body shapes and colors.

Most species of loricariids are nocturnal and will shy away from bright light, appreciating some sort of cover to hide under throughout the day. As they often originate from habitats with fast-moving water,

filtration should be vigorous.[5]

A number of species of loricariids have been bred in captivity.[5]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.gr.2024.04.008
    .
  2. S2CID 84436639
    .
  3. ^ "Loricariidae in Microcosmaquariumexplorer.com". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Fenner, Robert. "Loricariids". WetWebMedia.com. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  6. ^
    doi:10.1590/s1679-62252006000100010
    .
  7. ^ Linder, Shane. "What are L Numbers?". Archived from the original on 2006-04-22.
  8. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1462.1.1
    . Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  9. ^ a b J. W. Armbruster. "Loricariid taxa list".
  10. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00229.x
    .
  11. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1418.1.1
    . Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  12. S2CID 36180254
    .
  13. ^
    S2CID 8239240
    .
  14. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000200004
    .
  15. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000400012
    .
  16. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252007000300005
    .
  17. ^
    S2CID 86178220
    .
  18. ^
    S2CID 85769730
    .
  19. doi:10.15560/9.5.987
    .
  20. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Loricariidae" in FishBase. December 2011 version.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Sabaj, Mark H.; Armbruster, Jonathan W.; Page, Lawrence M. (1999). "Spawning in Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) with comments on the evolution of snout tentacles as a novel reproductive strategy: larval mimicry" (PDF). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 10 (3): 217–229. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  22. ^ a b Geerinckx, Tom; Brunain, Marleen; Herrel, Anthony; Aerts, Peter; Adriaens, Dominique (January 2007). "A head with a suckermouth : a functional-morphological study of the head of the suckermouth armoured catfish Ancistrus cf. triradiatus (Loricariidae, Siluriformes)" (PDF). Belg. J. Zool. 137 (1): 47–66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  23. ^
    JSTOR 1447796
    . Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  24. ^
    PMID 12364396
    .
  25. JSTOR 1447792
    .
  26. ^
    PMID 11833282
    .
  27. ^
    S2CID 6149247
    . Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  28. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00858.x
    .
  29. ISBN 978-1402000768
  30. ^ Sabino, J., and E. Trajano (1997). A new species of blind armoured catfish, genus "Ancistrus", from caves of Bodoquena region, Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Brazil (Siluriformes, Loricariidae, Ancistrinae). Revue française d'Aquariologie Herpétologie 24(3-4): 73–78
  31. doi:10.1023/A:1011884829498
    .
  • ^ Lujan, N.K., and C. Chamon (2008). Two new species of Loricariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from main channels of the upper and middle Amazon Basin, with discussion of deep water specialization in loricariids. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 19: 271–282.
  • ^ "Feeding Plecos, Part 2 • Who eats what?". Planetcatfish.com. Retrieved 2022-02-11.

    • External links

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