Aspidoras Velites

''Aspidoras'' is a genus of catfishes of the family Callichthyidae from Brazil.

Taxonomy

The type species for this genus is ''Aspidoras rochai''. The name ''Aspidoras'' is derived from the Greek ''aspis'' (shield) and ''dora'' (skin).

''Aspidoras'' is easily distinguished from the other genera of the subfamily Corydoradinae by the presence of a supraoccipital fontanel; this character is an autapomorphy for the genus. Many of the species of ''Aspidoras'' are similar and often hard to distinguish. Without specimens, it is often very difficult to positively identify a species from photographs alone. They are all small species. ''A. taurus'' is exceptional in that it just surpasses 5 cm in length.

The monophyly of the genus has been demonstrated.

Species

There are currently 23 recognized species in this genus:

* ''Aspidoras albater'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976 (False macropterus)
* ''Aspidoras belenos'' M. R. Britto, 1998
* ''Aspidoras brunneus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras carvalhoi'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* '' Aspidoras depinnai'' M. R. Britto, 2000
* ''Aspidoras eurycephalus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras fuscoguttatus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras gabrieli'' Wosiacki, T. G. Pereira & R. E. dos Reis, 2014
* ''Aspidoras lakoi'' P. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1949
* ''Aspidoras maculosus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras marianae'' M. D. V. Leão, M. R. Britto & Wosiacki, 2015
* ''Aspidoras menezesi'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras mephisto'' Tencatt & Bichuette, 2017
* ''Aspidoras microgalaeus'' M. R. Britto, 1998
* '' Aspidoras pauciradiatus'' ( S. H. Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970) (Sixray corydoras)
* ''Aspidoras poecilus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras psammatides'' M. R. Britto, F. C. T. Lima & A. C. A. Santos, 2005
* '' Aspidoras raimundi'' (Steindachner, 1907)
* ''Aspidoras rochai'' R. Ihering, 1907
* ''Aspidoras spilotus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976
* ''Aspidoras taurus'' F. C. T. Lima & M. R. Britto, 2001
* '' Aspidoras velites'' M. R. Britto, F. C. T. Lima & C. L. R. Moreira, 2002
* ''Aspidoras virgulatus'' Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1980

Distribution

''Aspidoras'' species are endemic to small and shallow streams draining the Brazilian Shield. The species of ''Aspidoras'' are distributed in eastern and central Brazil. Most species are narrowly endemic, occurring in restricted areas of some major river drainages: ''A. fuscoguttatus'' and ''A. lakoi'' from the Paraná River system. ''A. albater'', ''A. eurycephalus'' and ''A. gabrieli'' from the Tocantins River system. ''A. brunneus'', ''A. marianae'' and ''A. microgalaeus'' from the Xingu River system. ''A. belenos'', ''A. pauciradiatus'' and ''A. velites'' from Araguaia River system. ''A. rochai'' from rivers around Fortaleza. ''A. raimundi'' from the Parnaíba River. ''A. carvalhoi'' from rivers around Guaramiranga, Ceará State. ''A. maculosus'' from the Itapicuru River. ''A. menezesi'' from the Jaguaribe River. ''A. spilotus'' from the Acaráu River. ''A. poecilus'' from the Xingu River, Araguaia River, and Tocantins River systems. ''A. psammatides'' from the Paraguaçu River. ''A. virgulatus'' from the coastal rivers in Espírito Santo. ''A. depinnai'' is from the Ipojuca River basin, Pernambuco State. ''A. taurus'' is known from the upper Itiquira River and upper Taquari River, both tributaries of the Paraguay River, Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

In the aquarium

''Aspidoras'' do fairly well in aquaria under similar conditions as for most ''Corydoras'' species. The water conditions that seem best are a pH of 6.8 to 7.0 and a temperature of about 22 °C to 26 °C. The species that is most likely to be found in an aquarium is the sixray corydoras, '' Aspidoras pauciradiatus''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q136190

Callichthyidae
Taxa named by Rodolpho von Ihering
Fish of South America
Catfish genera
Freshwater fish genera