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Description: These are sometimes sold or seen as I. metae but that species has a more rounded caudal fin (albeit that us not always a reliable indicator as the fin can often be damaged) and also has one more pectoral fin ray (I + 6). I. guayaberensis (Dahl, 1960) also has a similar pattern but that species has even more pectoral fin rays (I + 8). Both I. metae and I. guayaberensis come from further north, in the Orinoco system in Colombia. (Grant, S). Habitat: Lives mainly in little forest creeks with notable current and a sandy-rocky substrate. Aquarium Care: Even 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. Diet: It is not known whether it feeds on flesh or blood of living animals or it lives on carrion. Opercle hooks enable it to cling to and to dig little tunnels into its prey's flesh.

Candiru

Trichomycterus amazonicus

Trichomycteridae

South America: Amazon River basin, Brazil, and rivers of French Guiana. Type locality: Type locality: Cudajas [Brazil].

7.5cm. (3ins)

25-28°c (77-83°f.)

6.0-7.0.

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.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
ScotCat Factsheet: March 2013. Grant, S; Ituglanis amazonicus