Ancistrus maculatus

Ancistrus maculatus is a tropical fish belonging to the armored catfish family (Loricariidae), the name ancistrus come from the Greek word akgistron which means hook in reference to its interopercular odontodes. This fish has the characteristic armored plates of its family and usually only reaches 11 cm in length when fully grown.

Distribution

This fish's natural habitat is the Amazon river basin in south America and can be found in the following regions:Cudajas, Obidos, Rio Tajapoura, Rio Chagres. Because of its morphology and the fact that it is so similar to other fish from the genus ancistrus, it could be deduced that this fish is demersal, preferring to occupy the river bed.

Diet

As most other related species, Ancistrus maculatus possesses sucker-like mouth, which allows it to adhere to a surface even in a fast-flowing water current, as well as to hold and rasp at food.This omnivorous species feeds on algae, Detritus and aquatic plants.

Omega iris

This fish have a modified iris called an omega iris. The top part of the iris descends to form a loop which can expand and contract this is called an iris operculum. when light levels are high,most notably during the day, the pupil reduces in diameter and the loop expands to cover the center of the pupil, forming a crescent-shaped, light-transmitting portion.

Behaviour

As most loricariids,this fish is nocturnal and prefers to hide under rocks or driftwood during the day. It can be territorial and quick to drive off other fish from its area when it has reached maturity.

Sexual dimorphism

The females and males of this species reach analogous length when adult, they can be differentiated by the soft tentacles (bushy fleshy growths) on the male's snout(although some females also display short tentacles),this trait is unique to the genus Ancistrus.

Breeding

While the breeding behaviour of this fish is unreported, typical actions of related fish when breeding include the pair choosing and cleaning a cave, with the female depositing and the male guarding the eggs which typically hatch in a few days.

In aquaria

A good complement to most aquariums, they are not aggressive to other species. Males may fight over territory if kept in too small a tank.Ancistrus maculatus should be fed mainly on vegetarian foods. Prepared foods include algae wafers and spirulina based sinking food. Vegetables such as courgette/zucchini, and cucumber are an excellent addition to the diet, along with a small amount of meaty foods.

References

Franz Steindachner(1881)

planetcatfish(hypostominae)

D cooper cambell 5-2015

Campbell, D Cooper, "The Evolution of Body Size in the Order Siluriformes" (2015). Honors Theses. Paper 321

fish physiology 8th tome(1959)