''Pterosturisoma microps'' is the only

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

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 ...

''Pterosturisoma'', a genus of 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 ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

(

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Siluriformes). This species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

where it is found in the upper

Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...

. ''P. microps'' is a

rheophile A rheophile is an animal that prefers to live in fast-moving water. Examples of rheophilic animals Insects *Many aquatic insects living in riffles require current to survive. *'' Epeorus sylvicola'', a rheophilic mayfly species ( Ephemeroptera ...

, which means it likes fast-moving water. ''Pterosturisoma microps'' reaches a length of SL. ''Pterosturisoma'' appears morphologically very similar to ''

Lamontichthys ''Lamontichthys'' is a genus of Loricariidae, armored catfishes native to South America. Taxonomy The phylogenetics, phylogenetic position of ''Lamontichthys'' remains uncertain. It has been considered to be cladistics, sister to ''Harttia'', wh ...

''; however, ''Pterosturisoma'' has 6

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

rays while ''Lamontichthys'' has 7. These two genera share features with ''

Sturisoma ''Sturisoma'' is a genus of armored catfishes native to Central and South America. Taxonomy ''Sturisoma'' has been shown to be sister to ''Farlowella''. Species There are currently 12 recognized species in this genus: * '' Sturisoma barbatum' ...

'' such as similar body depth at the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

origin, the presence of filamentous extensions on

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 ...

spines, and complete abdominal plate cover that extends to the lower lip margin. The sexes of ''P. microps'' can be distinguished by the width of a naked trapezoidal area framed by four bony plates in the genital region; this area appeared broader in females, and longer and narrower in males.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q18746609, from2=Q921521 Harttiini Fish of South America Freshwater fish of Peru Fish of the Amazon basin Monotypic ray-finned fish genera Catfish genera Taxa named by Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker Taxa named by Han Nijssen