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Pseudancistrus
Pseudancistrus is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Loricariidae.
Taxonomy
Pseudancistrus is a genus in the tribe Ancistrini of the subfamily Hypostominae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1862, and redescribed by Jonathan Armbruster in 2004. Currently, there are 14 recognized species distributed in northern South America, with the inclusion of the genera Lithoxancistrus, Guyanancistrus, and the species formerly known as Hemiancistrus megacephalus. There is no single morphological feature which distinguishes the group from related genera. Despite this, Pseudancistrus is generally recognized as a monophyletic group.
Distribution and habitat
Pseudancistrus species are found around the Guiana Shield in the Guyanas, Venezuela, and Brazil. They are also found in northeastern Brazil in the Rio Jaguaribe and Rio Grande do Norte. They are associated with swift flowing water over gravel, cobble, and boulders.
Description
There is a considerable variation in size within this genus, up to around 20 cm standard length. Most species are not able to evert their cheek plates. In some species, odontodes on the snout may sometimes be extremely hypertrophied. Most species are dark gray, with lighter colouration on the abdomen. In some species, there are light-colored spots or blotches on the sides. Usually, the fins are similarly colored, but in some species there are bands on the caudal fin or an orange or red edging to the dorsal fin and caudal fin.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Pseudancistrus
