Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypostominae
Etymology: Ancistrus: Greek, agkistron = hook (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Kner.
Issue
Synonymy based on examination of numerous specimens including syntypes of Ancistrus dolichopterus; no recent redescription, but see Eigenmann and Eigenmann (1890:448, as Ancistrus temminckii) for a complementary description, and Römer (1990) and Holota (1990) (both references as Ancistrus cf. hoplogenys) for figures of living specimens and reproduction observations in aquarium; 12S and 16S mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences used in molecular phylogenies by Montoya-Burgos et al. (1997: fig. 4; 1998: figs. 3 & 6; EMBL/GenBank Y08276; Y08324).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19. Tropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 1672)
South America: upper and middle Brazilian Amazon River basin and from the Negro, lower Trombetas, Tefé, Madeira and Tapajós River basins.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125975); max. published weight: 120.20 g (Ref. 125975)
Facultative or obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Aquarium keeping: feeds on plants and roots; minimum aquarium size 80 cm (Ref. 51539).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
The male guards the clutch which is usually hidden between roots (Ref. 1672).
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. (Ref. 36713)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial
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