All FishesLoricariidaeHypostominaePseudancistrus  |  | 

Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Pseudancistrus sidereus  Armbruster, 2004
Common Names Flatheaded Venezuela Pleco
Fladhovedet Venezuela-sugemalle (Denmark)
Type Locality Río Siapa from 10-15 km downstream, Río Casiquiare - Río Negro drainage, 01.50000°, -065.71667°, Río Orinoco drainage, Amazonas, Venezuela.
Etymology Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, agkistron = hook or barb. "False Ancistrus", meaning that it is like an Ancistrus, but yet not quite. This specific epithet refers to the dark background which makes the white spots look like stars (sidereus=of the stars).
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 176mm or 6.9" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Pseudancistrus is the only genus of the Ancistrini (former Ancistrinae) that lacks evertible cheek plates. Because of this characteristic, it has at times been placed in the Hypostominae.

Pseudancistrus sidereus is diagnosed by a unique modification of the ventral plates on the caudal peduncle. In loricariids, the plates of the ventral row on the caudal peduncle are typically bent at an approximately 90° angle to follow the contour of the body. The bend is often the site of a slight keel formed from one or more rows of slightly longer odontodes. In P. sidereus, the keel is accentuated by having the dorsal laminae of the plates strongly concave. Although some loricariids may have the dorsal laminae slightly concave, it is much more pronounced in P. sidereus.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Venezuela.
Orinoco, Upper Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Upper Negro, Casiquiare (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 2020.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Zootaxa No. 628, pp 8, Fig. 3.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2021 Mar 07 22:50 (species record created: 2007 Jan 22 22:11)