Actinopteri (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypostominae
Etymology: Pterygoplichthys: Greek, pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin + Greek, hoplon = weapon + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
South America: Madeira River basin. Introduced to countries outside its native range.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 70.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 56962)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Typically from floodplain lakes, swamps and borrow pits, in poorly-oxygenated waters and must rely on air breathing for long periods of time. Has a specialized (enlarged) stomach which appear to function as accessory respiratory organs (Ref. 58517).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, R.N. Lea and J.D. Williams, 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. ix, 386 p. + 1 CD. (Ref. 52299)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 125652)
Threat to humans
Potential pest (Ref. 56962)
Human uses
Aquarium: commercial
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02570 (0.01537 - 0.04300), b=2.94 (2.80 - 3.08), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for species & Genus-BS (Ref.
93245).
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming Tmax >3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100) .
Climate Vulnerability (Ref.
125649): (0 of 100) .
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 113 [59, 201] mg/100g ; Iron = 1.18 [0.77, 1.88] mg/100g ; Protein = 16.2 [15.1, 17.2] % ; Omega3 = 0.169 [0.082, 0.356] g/100g ; Selenium = 85 [40, 213] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 15.1 [6.0, 36.4] μg/100g ; Zinc = 1.66 [1.15, 2.39] mg/100g (wet weight);