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Ivan Mikolji (1) Peter Petersen (1) Erling Holm (1)

The genus Auchenipterus is closely related to and is similar to, Epapterus and Pseudepapterus. Description: A. ambyyiacus is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: anal fin origin located anterior of the middle of the body; caudal fin with tip of lobes dark; pelvic fin darkly pigmented on its leading edge and, often, on the distal margin; typically 49-51 vertebrae and 36-39 gill rakers on the outer edge of the first arch. A. ambyyiacus is most similar in appearance to A. osteomystax, from which it is most easily distinguished by the higher gill raker counts in the latter species. (typically 43-46). Aquarium Care: Good catfish for a large aquarium with normal sized patrons but not to be trusted with small Tetras for instance, which will be picked of at night on its twilight patrols. Diet: Can be fed most aquarium fare such as good quality flake, white worm, tablet and pellet foods and frozen foods such as bloodworm. Better to feed at lights out until they get accustomed to the daytime feeding regime when they may very well join in. Remarks: This species will not be seen too often in the hobby.

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Auchenipteridae

South America: Upper and middle Amazon and Orinoco River basins and coastal rivers of Guyana. Type locality: Ambyiacu River, Ecuador.

25.0cm. (10ins)

23-26°c (73-79°f.)

6.5-7.2.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 1999. The South American catfish genus Auchenipterus Valenciennes, 1840 (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) : monopoly and relationships, with a revisionary study. Zoological Journal. Vol. 126, Part 4, 1999.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2017. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 02/2017 ).