All Fishes ⇒ Loricariidae ⇒ The genus Rhinotocinclus

Hop to next section Summary of rhinotocinclus
Etymology Rhinotocinclus is a combination of the Greek Rhinos meaning beak or snout and Otocinclus, a genus of Hypoptopomatinae, in allusion to the conspicuous and elegant snout of most of its species.
Identification Rhinotocinclus is diagnosed from all other genera in Hypoptopomatinae by having the canal cheek plate on the ventral surface of the head posteriorly elongated and contacting the cleithrum (vs. canal cheek plate rounded or mesially elongated and not expanded backwards to contact the pectoral girdle).
Sexing Males possess a urogenital papilla immediately behind the anus, and a variably deep skin fold along the first, unbranched pelvic-fin ray (vs. both absent in females). Also, males possess a much larger nostril than females, causing the internarial distance to be smaller in males. The larger size of the olfactory organ of males also causes an elevation in the snout profile immediately in front of the eyes, which can be easily seen in lateral view. In most species, males also possess longer pelvic fins than females, with the males' pelvic fins reaching or almost reach to the anal-fin origin.
Size Smallest 17mm, largest 60mm, average 30mm, most commonly 30mm. All SL.
Species There are 24 "species" in the database
New spp. / time
1750 1770 1790 1810 1830 1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 
Distribution

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