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ver 100 factsheets ago (no. 201) we featured the same genera in Ituglanis amazonicus which was our featured monthly factsheet penned by U.K. aquarist and author Steven Grant. We are back 8 years later with another member of this genus namely the "Leopard Candiru", Ituglanis metae. In 1993 Costa & Bockmann placed this species into the newly created genus Ituglanis with the type species of Ituglanis parahybae.

Ituglanis metae

This species can sometimes be confused with Ituglanis amazonicus but this species is lighter bodied with larger spots/reticulations to body but in saying that there will be further confusion in the future regarding these two species.

It is not known whether this species feeds on the flesh or the blood of the living animals that it parasites. It possesses opercule hooks that allows it to cling onto and then burry tunnels into its prey’s flesh (De Pínna and Wosiacki, 2003) but in the aquarium it is reported to well behaved and is seldom seen until feeding time. Provide caves/pipes for this species.

Ituglanis metae - head view

The family Trichomyctereridae are small, rather slender bodied catfishes found in South America. They are almost loach-like in appearance, with scale-less skins, short-based, rounded dorsal which is set well back on the body and no adipose fin. Short barbels in 3 pairs. Most of the species whose habits are known, appear to be crepuscular or nocturnal and lie buried during daylight in the sand of sand bars, or in the leaf litter and fallen tree branches. Some such as the Stegophilus genera are parasitic and live in the gill chambers of larger catfishes; others are known to be scale-eaters of larger fishes such as the Homodiaetus, Pygidium and Vandellia genera.

Distrbution: Map of Colombia with the Rio Meta bordering Venezuala. Type locality: Barrigona, Colombia.

Leopard Candiru

Pygidium metae, Trichomycterus metae

Trichomycterinae

South America: Rio Meta. Type locality: Barrigona, Colombia.

8.0cm. (3¼ins)

25-28°c (77-83°f.)

The body is elongate with the caudal peduncle strongly compressed. The head is depressed and covered with soft skin. The eyes are small and without a free orbital margin. 3 pairs of barbels: a nasal pair on the posterior border of the of the anterior nares and two barbels on the angle of the mouth, the upper in connection with the rudimentary maxilla; there are no mental barbels, The fines are without spines. The dorsal is short based and set well back on the body. No adipose fin.

Although this species is termed, along with other members of this family, as parasitic catfishes it is well behaved in the aquarium but is seldom seen until feeding time. Provide caves/pipes for this species. It is noted that they are sensitive to being chilled in the aquarium so unheated tanks are not suitable.

Not reported.

The females are said to be more robust than the males.

They will sometimes feed in daylight hours but to make sure they are getting adequately fed, you should add some food after lights out. They will eat bloodworm, tubifex, and earthworms chopped into small pieces (Grant, S. 2003).

Adipose fin: Fleshy finlike projection without rays, behind the rayed dorsal fin.
Barbels: Whisker-like structure on the heads of most catfish.
Caudal: The tail.
Caudal peduncle: The narrow part of a fish's body to which the caudal or tail fin is attached.
Dorsal fin: The primary rayed fin(s) on top of the body.
Maxilla: Pertaining to the upper jaw (maxillary barbels).
Mental: Pertaining to the chin, on the lower jaw (mental barbels).
Nasal: On top of the head, by the nostrils (nasal barbels).

Ituglanis: Greek, itys, ityos = circle + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish.
metae: From the River (Rio) Meta, South America (Colombia).

Burgess, W.E. 1989 An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey (USA). 784 p.
de Pínna, M.C.C. and W. Wosiacki, 2003. Trichomycteridae (pencil or parasitic catfishes). p. 270-290. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944.
Grant, Steven. ScotCat Factsheet no. 201. March 2013.
Sleen, van der Peter and Albert, S. James; Field guide of the Amazon, Orinoco & Guianas. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford. 2018.
Wheeler, Alwyne. Fishes of the World. An Illustrated Dictionary. Ferndale Editions, London. 1979. 366p.

Photo Credits

© Allan James @ 
©
© Encylopedia of Britannica, Map of Colombia 1998.
© Erling Holm @