''Neoplecostomus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Loricariidae Loricariidae is the largest family (biology), family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with over 90 genus, genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South A ...

native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. ''Neoplecostomus'' can be distinguished from all other loricariids by a modified shield of small plates on the abdomen with posteriorly directed

odontode Odontodes, or dermal teeth, are hard structures found on the external surfaces of animals or near internal openings. They consist of a soft pulp surrounded by dentine and covered by a mineralized substance such as enamel, a structure similar to t ...

s; the shield appears to act as a holdfast. The color pattern is generally mottled brown with the abdomen white. The head is long, rounded, and shovel-shaped. The fin spines are weak. They range from about SL. The species of ''Neoplecostomus'' live in fast-flowing water.

Species

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1840) * '' Neoplecostomus jaguari'' B. N. Andrade & Langeani, 2014 * '' Neoplecostomus langeanii'' Roxo, C. de Oliveira & Zawadzki, 2012 * '' Neoplecostomus microps'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner descri ...

, 1877) * '' Neoplecostomus paranensis'' Langeani, 1990 * ''

Neoplecostomus paraty ''Neoplecostomus paraty'' is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it is known from coastal streams in Serra da Bocaina National Park, near the municipality of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro ( ...

'' Cherobim, Lazzarotto & Langeani, 2017 * '' Neoplecostomus pirangaensis'' Oliveira & Oyakawa, 2019 * '' Neoplecostomus ribeirensis'' Langeani, 1990 * '' Neoplecostomus sapucai'' * '' Neoplecostomus selenae'' Zawadzki, Pavanelli & Langeani, 2008 * '' Neoplecostomus variipictus'' Bizerril, 1995 * '' Neoplecostomus watersi'' Silva, Reia, Zawadzki & Roxo, 2019 * '' Neoplecostomus yapo'' Zawadzki, Pavanelli & Langeani, 2008

References

Catfish genera Freshwater fish genera Taxa named by Carl H. Eigenmann Taxa named by Rosa Smith Eigenmann {{Neoplecostominae-stub