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Karsten Schönherr (1) Hans-Georg Evers (1) Mitsuhiro Iwamoto (2)

Description: Isbrücker & Nijssen (1976a) and Isbrücker (1981a) proposed the revalidation of Hemiloricaria Bleecker, 1862 (type species: Hemiloricaria caracasensis), but they finally left it in the synonymy of Rineloricaria because of the lack of sufficient features to split these two genera. In 2001, Isbrücker et al. revalidated Hemiloricaria and created two new genera: Fonchiiichthys (type species: Loricaria uracantha) and Leliella (type species: Rineloricaria heteroptera) on the basis of subtle differences in the sexual dimorphism (Covain, Raphael; Fisch-Muller, Sonia 2007). This is the smallest of the Hemiloricaria/Rineloricaria and is a reasonably easy species to breed. Reproduction: The female lays up to 80 orange to brown eggs in a narrow diameter pipe of at least 1.2 cm. The Rineloricaria species are usually cave spawners, where the female will place their eggs after the male has cleaned inside. The male will then guard and fan the eggs until hatching. The eggs will hatch in 4-5 days whereas the male can now be removed. More breeding information can be found here in the articles breeding section. Aquarium Care: Non problematic in a community or species tank with good water parameters. Diet: Omnivore. Vegetable food such as cucumber and other various foods such as tablet, flake and frozen. Etymology: The specific name beni: From the Rio Beni, in Bolivia and Peru, South America. Remarks: First imported from a collecting trip in 1997 by Swiss aquarists. More information on this species can be found in the Catfish Atlas Volume 1 as referenced.

Dwarf whiptail catfish

Loricaria beni, Hemiloricaria beni

Loricariidae

Bolivia: Beni River basin. Type locality: Lagoons, Lake Rogoagua, Beni River basin, Bolivia.

8.0cm. (3¼ins)

23-26°c (73-77°f)

6.5-7.2.

Covain, Raphael; Fisch-Muller, Sonia (2007). "The genera of the Neotropical armored catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a practical key and synopsis" Zootaxa. 1462: 1–40.
Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.