All FishesLoricariidaeHypostominaeAncistrus  |  | 

Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Ancistrus tamboensis  Fowler, 1945
Common Name Bristlenose Catfish
Type Locality Satipo, upper Tambo basin, Río Ucayali drainage, Peru, elevation 600 meters.
Pronunciation an SISS truss - tam BOW en siss
Etymology The name Ancistrus is derived from the Greek word agkistron, meaning hook, in reference to the interopercular odontodes that are hooked. Named for the Rio Tambo where this species was found.
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 82mm or 3.2" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Mature males and sometimes females have soft tentacles (bushy fleshy growths) on the snout - this is unique to the genus Ancistrus.

Often misquoted in hobby literature, this, the true A. tamboensis has a distinctive colouration and belly pattern.
Sexing Males have head tentacles, females do not.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Tambo River basin in the upper Ucayali drainage, Peru.
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón, Ucayali, Tambo (click on these areas to find other species found there)

Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2014.
pH 6.5 - 7.5
Temperature 23.0-28.0°C or 73.4-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters Relatively undemanding.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding It is thought that elements in bogwood, particularly lignin, may form an essential part of Bristlenose diet. Certainly they have the immensely long guts common to vegetarians, and although they fall avidly on the occasional meal of live food or prawns, the bulk of their diet must be composed of vegetable matter. If a high protein diet is fed constantly, then they will become prone to stomach disorders. Vegetable roughage keeps the gut in working order, and bogwood is a valuable addition to this. User data.
Furniture In the aquarium they prefer a strong water current with lots of oxygen, and require plenty of hiding places. Bogwood is ideal for this, as it is not only attractive to look at and provides plenty of shelter. Although they are vegetarian, they do not feed on water plants either naturally or in the aquarium, and your treasured collection of cryptocorynes will not only remain uneaten, but the Bristlenose will carefully and gently graze each leaf, removing any covering of algae that may form.
Compatibility They are gentle and unassuming fish, and can be kept in community tanks with the most timid of inhabitants. Even tiny fry will be left unharmed once free-swimming.
Suggested Tankmates All community fish, small to medium sized cichlids.
Breeding See catfish of the month article.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Notulae Naturae (Philadelphia) No. 159, pp 9, Figs. 13-15.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list.
There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There is no record of this fish being seen.
Forum BBCode
Look up PlanetCatfish.com Look up A. tamboensis on PlanetCatfish.com
Look up on Fishbase Look up A. tamboensis on Fishbase
Look up on Encyclopedia of Life Look up A. tamboensis on Encyclopedia of Life
Look up on Global Biodiversity Information Facility Look up A. tamboensis on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Ancistrus tamboensis QR code LFS label creator
Last Update 2020 Oct 24 05:42 (species record created: 2001 Apr 26 00:00)