AquaticRepublic.com - Sturisoma tenuirostre (Loricariidae) All Fishes

Rio Apure, 207mm SL (ANSP198951_t4733), Dorsal view

All Fishes Data Sheet
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).
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.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Meta River basin. Orinoco, Middle Orinoco, Meta (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
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)
Husbandry Information
Breeding	Unreported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
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.
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 are 3 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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	Look up S. tenuirostre on PlanetCatfish.com
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	Look up S. tenuirostre on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up S. tenuirostre on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.4.102.936
Last Update	2025 Jan 01 12:10 (species record created: 2002 Oct 05 00:00)