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Nathan Lujan (3)

Chaetostoma microps was originally described by Günther (1864) from the 'Andes of Western Ecuador' and redescribed by Nathan Lujan and colleagues in 2015 based largely on specimens collected during a survey conducted in the Andes of Western Ecuador in 2012. Colouration: Male Ecuadorian C. microps can range from yellow to light blue in colouration, which contrasts with the generally much more plain males from Peru (Lujan, N. 2018). Aquarium Care: Will need a good water flow in the aquarium with a sand substrate and plenty of hiding places. Diet: Great algae eater, but you will have to subsidise this food with algae wafers and vegetable foods such as cucumber, zucchini and lettuce. Will also except tablet and worm foods. Sexual Differences: Males have better colour, a broader head and lips and adult males possess longer ventral fins than the females. Remarks: The Chaetostoma species are not the easiest to maintain as the mountain stream species will need a water current to provide oxygen-rich water. The species that are exported usually originate from warmer waters so are a bit easier to keep than the mountain stream variety.

None

Chaetostomus microps

Loricariidae

South America: Andes of western Ecuador.

9.0cm. (3½ins)

20-22°c (67-71°f.)

6.0-7.5.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Fisch-Muller, S., 2003. Loricariidae-Ancistrinae (Armored catfishes). p. 373-400. 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.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, (06/2018).
Lujan, Nathan. Facebook post 2018.
Seidel, I. 2008. Back to Nature guide to L-catfishes, Ettlingen, Germany 208 p.