/siluriformes/loricariidae/chaetostoma/tachiraense/1.jpg "Chaetostoma tachiraense")
Lateral view of preserved specimen (flipped)/siluriformes/loricariidae/chaetostoma/tachiraense/2.jpg "Chaetostoma tachiraense")
Dorsal view of preserved specimen (flipped)
 All Fishes Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetostoma tachiraense Schultz, 1944 |
| Common Name | |
| Type Locality | Río Táchira, tributary of Río Zulia, 7 kilometers north of San Antonio, Rio Catatumbo system, Táchira state, Venezuela. |
| Synonym(s) | Chaetostoma tachiraensis |
| Pronunciation | KATE oh STOW mah |
| Etymology | Greek, chaite = hair + Greek, stoma = mouth. The specific epithet tachiraense is based on the type location, Rio Tachira. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 87mm or 3.4" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | The genus Chaetostoma is not straightforward to identify, but as a general rule, the species has spines behind the gill-cover (interopercular odontodes), no plates on the abdomen, and aside from C. platyrhynchus also lack plates on the snout edge. Different from Ancistrus by not having fleshy tentacles on the snout. Page 83 of Peces del Catatumbo (Galvis et al, 1997) shows an overall gray bodied fish with light colored, tiny spots on the head and rostrum. The upper and lower sections of the caudal (it is slightly forked) are whitish yellow. Note that the Lake Maracaibo region in Venezuela is not collected for the hobby at present, and hasn't been for a couple of decades or more due to Venezuelan restrictions on export of wild flora and fauna. If you believe you have this fish because the label in the shop said so, it is highly likely the confusion on which Rio Tachira the fish is named after, where the one from draining into Rio Meta is confused with the one draining to Rio Maracaibo, which the species on this page refers to. In such a case, the fish is probably Chaetostoma formosae or perhaps Chaetostoma dorsale. |
| Sexing | The males have however a larger and broader head, slimmer ventral sides and disproportionately large pelvic fins. Perhaps the over-sized pelvic fins play a large role in the fertilization of the eggs. By inverting these over the clutch of eggs, they prevent the sperm cells being carried away by fast water current. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | South America: Catatumbo river basin in the Lake Maracaibo drainage (up to altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 m above sea level). Lake Maracaibo, Catatumbo (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map. |
| IUCN Red List Category | Vulnerable , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2021. |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Furniture | Fist-sized stones on fine gravel or sand, with good current. |
| Breeding | Unreported. |
| Breeding Reports | There is no breeding report. |
| Further Information | |
| Reference | Proceedings of the United States National Museum v. 94 (no. 3172), pp 288, Pl. 7 (figs. B-C). |
| 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 C. tachiraense on PlanetCatfish.com |
 | Look up C. tachiraense on Fishbase |
 | Look up C. tachiraense on Encyclopedia of Life |
 | Look up C. tachiraense on Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| LFS label creator ARN ref:1.4.26.2437 | |
| Last Update | 2025 Jan 01 12:01 (species record created: 2010 Mar 16 15:54) |