''Pseudacanthicus'' 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 ...

of medium to large-sized suckermouth armored catfishes native to South America, where found in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

and

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...

basins, as well as rivers of the

Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British Guiana, British, Surinam (Dutch colo ...

. They are primarily found in fast-flowing waters, sometimes relatively deep. They are sometimes kept in

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

Species

There are currently 8 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pseudacanthicus fordii'' ( Günther, 1868) * '' Pseudacanthicus histrix'' (

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) * '' Pseudacanthicus leopardus'' ( Fowler, 1914) * '' Pseudacanthicus major'' Chamon & Costa e Silva, 2018Chamon, Carine C.; and Thiago Costa e Silva (2018). Pseudacanthicus major: Description of One of the Largest Known Loricariidae (Hypostominae: Ancistrini), A Species from rio Tocantins Basin, Brazil. Zootaxa. 4387(3); 499–510. * '' Pseudacanthicus pirarara'' Chamon & L. M. de Sousa, 2016Chamon, C.C. & Sousa, L.M. (2016): A new species of the leopard pleco genus ''Pseudacanthicus'' (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Rio Xingu, Brazil. ''Journal of Fish Biology, 90 (1): 356–369.'' * '' Pseudacanthicus pitanga'' Chamon, 2015Chamon, C.C. (2015)
''Pseudacanthicus pitanga'': a new species of Ancistrini (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Hypostominae) from rio Tocantins Basin, North Brazil.
''Zootaxa, 3973 (2): 309–319.'' * '' Pseudacanthicus serratus'' (

, 1840) * '' Pseudacanthicus spinosus'' ( Castelnau, 1855) Some of these were only recently described and

undescribed species In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon (for example, a species) that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. U ...

probably remain. In contrast, ''P. fordii'' is likely a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

of ''P. serratus'', and ''P. histrix'' likely a synonym of ''P. spinosus''.

Description

Species of ''Pseudacanthicus'' are medium to large spiny

loricariid Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with over 90 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are no ...

s, up to in

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of fish anatomy, their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is ...

. They have a diverse range of colour patterns, typically light to dark grey or brown, often with black spots, which may result in a netted appearance. The fins and body may have orange-red sections or a red wash. Colouration varies between rivers and can also change throughout the lifetime of a single individual. The abdomen is covered in small plates in adults. The

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

is forked and may have filaments. The jaws are short, forming an acute angle at their union; the teeth are few and stout. The

adipose fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only b ...

is present.

Conservation

Some of the species in the genus are threatened by mining, deforestation and especially the building of

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

s. Like many other

s, ''Pseudacanthicus'' are found in flowing waters with high levels of oxygen and dams typically flood these, transforming them to reservoirs. In some regions where dams have been built, the local populations of ''Pseudacanthicus'' have seriously decreased or even disappeared. In contrast, although some species often are caught for the aquarium trade, this does not appear to represent a serious threat to them.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q935748 Ancistrini Suckermouth catfish of Brazil Fish of Guyana Fish of Suriname Catfish genera Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker Freshwater fish genera