Description:
This genus is recognised by the flat head and large
eyes that are set latterly on the head and their heavy
body armour. The ventral region is also armored and
you can sometimes identify a species by the pattern
on the underbelly. In saying that the species in this
genus are notoriously difficult to identify and most
of the time you would need the location of the catchment
area or even down to the river itself to pinpoint
a certain species. Vertebrae: 25. This species is
distinguished from its congeners by having the odontodes
on the snout margin, the rostral plate, and first
and second infraorbitals arranged in regular series;
along the rostral margin, the dorsal and ventral series
are separated by an odontode-free discontinuity approximately
as wide as the base of individual odontodes; along
the first and second infraorbitals, the discontinuity
becomes narrower, but forms a dividing line between
ventral and dorsal odontode series; odontode arrangement
becomes more irregular posterolateral to the second
infraorbital, and individual odontodes become roughly
oriented with the trunk axis; in all other congeners,
the ventral and dorsal odontodes on the rostrum are
variably separated and/or covered by soft tissue,
and odontodes are typically not clearly aligned in
series. Aquarium Care: Will not bother
other fish in the aquarium. They like to hang on to
thin stalks of plants so they can see around it with
their laterally located eyes. Provide shaded hiding
areas in the tank with rocks or cave-like structures.
Diet: Feed an all round diet but
prefers a vegetable diet such as algae, spirulina
tablets and cucumber/courgette. Remarks:
The first five thumbnail specimens were captured by
the image contributor (2003) in the Paraná
River, Argentina, Misiones province, in its
capital, Posadas City and also 25 miles from Parana
City near to the town of Valle María (2004).
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
Aristommata inexpectata,
Hypoptopoma guentheri
Family:
Loricariidae
Distribution:
South America:
Argentina, Paraná/Paraguay River basin. Type
Locality: Río Paraguay, Formosa Prov.,
Argentina.
Size:
10.0cm. (4ins)
Temp:
18-26°c (63-79°f.)
p.H.
6.0-7.0.
Reference:
Aquino, A.E. and S.A.
Schaefer 2010
Systematics of the genus Hypoptopoma Günther,
1868 (Siluriformes, Loricariidae). Bull. Amer. Mus.
Nat. Hist. 336:1-110. Evers, H.-G.
& I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas
Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944. ScotCat
Article:
Collecting in the Paraná River Basin, Argentina,
(Part 2).
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