Is said to become attached
to the gills, anal region and fins of dead, dying,
or disabled fishes. Not recommended for the home aquaria.
Diet: Difficult to feed with aquarium made
foods as this is a species that feeds of fish, scales
and body mucus so certainly
a catfish for the specialist. Etymology:
The specific name paulensis: –ensis,
Latin suffix denoting place: São Paulo, Brazil,
type locality. Remarks:
The sub-family Stegophilinae
have sucking mouths with which they can hang on to
the bodies of other fishes. DoNascimiento, C. (2015):
has placed Parastegophilus in the synonymy
of Pseudostegophilus but some online sources
still have Parastegophilus as the genus name.
South America: Upper Paraná River basin (Brazil).
Type locality: Avanhandava, Rio Tieté,
Estado de São Paulo [Brazil].
Size:
5.5cm. (2¼ins)
Temp:
26-28°c (79-83°f.)
p.H.
6.0-7.0.
Reference:
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. Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist
of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes),
and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa
1418:1-628. Froese, R. and D. Pauly.
Editors. 2024. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic
publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2024).
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