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Scientific Name Sturisoma tenuirostre  (Steindachner, 1910)
Common Name Whiptail Pleco
Type Locality Río Meta, Venezuela.
Synonym(s) Oxyloricaria tenuirostris
Etymology German, sturio = sturgeon, + Greek, soma = body. This specific epithet refers to its thin(tenuis=thin) snout(rostrum=snout, nose).
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 126mm or 5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Sturisoma and Sturisomatichthys can be difficult to tell apart. Older descriptions of the genera emphasized the length of the snout (elongated in Sturisoma), but this trait is not reliable across species. Recent analyses allow discrimination based on the abdominal plates, fin colors and lateral plates: Sturisoma has its central abdominal plates arranged in three clearly-defined longitudinal series; all fins (except sometimes pectoral fins) lack dark spots; and 20–21 lateral plates in median series. Sturisomatichthys has its central abdominal plates less organized, not arranged in clearly-defined longitudinal series; dark spots usually present on one or more of the dorsal-, pectoral-, pelvic, or anal-fins; and 15–18 lateral plates in median series. Furthermore, to date all Sturisoma are cis-Andean; most (but not all) Sturisomatichthys are trans-Andean.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Meta River basin.
Orinoco, Middle Orinoco, Meta (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2007.
Temperature 25.0-28.0°C or 77-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Anzeiger der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse v. 47 (no. 25) (for 1 Dec. 1910), pp 410.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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There are 3 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Sep 28 07:27 (species record created: 2002 Oct 05 00:00)