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Auchenipterus osteomystax (Miranda Ribeiro, 1918)

Image contributors to this species:

Julio Endler (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

The genus Auchenipterus is closely related to and is similar to, Epapterus and Pseudepapterus. Description: A. osteomystax is distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: the anal fin origin is located anterior of the middle of the body; the caudal fin with tips of lobes dark; the pelvic fins darkly pigmented on its leading edge and, often, on the margin; 49-51 vertabrae (rarely 48); and 38-51 (modally 45) gill rakers on the outer edge of the first arch. A. osteomystax is most similar in appearance to A. ambyiacus, from which it is most easily distinguished in having higher gill raker counts (32-41), modally 39, in A. ambyyiacus. Aquarium Care: Can grow quite large so would need a large tank to house this species. Other tankmates would need to be the same size or larger as they will pick of smaller species in their night time forays. 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.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Ceratocheilus osteomystax

Family:

Auchenipteridae

Distribution:

South America: La Plata River basin, Tocantins River, and several rivers of lower Amazon River basin. Type locality: Santa Rita das Antas, Rio Vermelho, Goyaz [Brazil].

Size:

27.0cm. (10¾ins)

Temp:

23-26°c (73-79°f.)

p.H.

6.5-7.2.

Reference:

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. and R.P. Vari, 1999. The South American catfish genus Auchenipterus Valenciennes, 1840 (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae): monophyly and relationships, with a revisionary study. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. (126):387-450.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2016. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 01/2016 ).

Family: Auchenipteridae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Auchenipterus osteomystax

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