Rineloricaria (from the Greek, rhinos meaning nose, and the Latin, lorica meaning cuirass of leather) is a
genus of freshwater tropical
catfish (
order Siluriformes) belonging to the family
Loricariidae. They are commonly called whiptail catfish because of the long filament that grows out of the tip of the
caudal fin that is characteristic of the genus. With the exception of R. altipinnis from
Panama, they are native to the rivers of northern and central
South America. Some species are regularly seen in the
aquarium trade.
Taxonomy
This genus was described by
Pieter Bleeker in 1862, with R. lima as the
type species. This genus is by far one of the most speciose of the subfamily
Loricariinae, containing approx 60
species.[1] On the other hand, it is one of the least resolved genera.[2] In 2008, 14 new species were added to this genus.[1][3][4][5][6]
Hemiloricaria, Fonchiiichthys, and Leliella been variably considered
synonyms of Rineloricaria; these genera were erected to account for differences in
sexually dimorphic traits. However, the traits used to diagnose these genera have been thought to be insufficient.[1]
Species
There are currently 67 recognized species in this genus:[7]
The genus is widely distributed on nearly the entire subcontinent, from
Costa Rica to
Argentina, on both slopes of the
Andes.[10]Rineloricaria species are found in a large variety of habitats, including large rivers, streams, and lagoons, associated with bottoms consisting of sand or rocks, sometimes found in marginal vegetation. They are also found to tolerate environments with a wide temperature gradient.[5]Rineloricaria have an adaptive capacity enabling many species to exploit the most varied habitats; some species, such as R. strigilata, have been caught in highly polluted bodies of water and represent some of the main components of the ichthyological diversity in such habitats.[2]
Appearance and anatomy
The average length of a Rineloricaria catfish is about 13 cm (5 in) long.[citation needed] The fish are long, slender, have no visible
barbels, an erect
dorsal fin, a very thin
caudal peduncle, and a narrow face. The coloration of the fishes is usually light brown with darker blotches, and have a dark
dorsal fin.[citation needed] They are also covered with bony plates and have a sucker disk mouth, as is common with most fish in the family
Loricariidae.
Reproduction
Sexual dimorphism includes
hypertrophied development of the
odontodes along the sides of the head, on the
pectoral spines and rays, and predorsal area of mature males. Several species also show hypertrophied development of the odontodes on the entire
caudal peduncle.[10] In males, the pectoral fin spine is often thick, short, and curved when compared to the female.[1]Rineloricaria are cavity brooders. Numerous
eggs (often more than 100) are laid attached to one another in single layer masses on the cavity floor, and are brooded by males.[10] Rineloricaria exhibit high levels of
karyotypic diversity with
chromosome numbers ranging from 36 to 70.[10]
^
abRodriguez, M; Miqualarena, A (2008). "Rineloricaria isaaci (Loricariidae: Loricariinae), a new species of loricariid catfish from the Uruguay River basin". Journal of Fish Biology. 73 (7): 1635–1647.
doi:
10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02037.x.
hdl:11336/17126.