Cat-eLog Right Loricariidae Right Hypostominae Right Chaetostoma  |  | 

  • Chaetostoma spondylusPeru, Cajamarca Region, Rio Paltic, 14.1cm TL
  • Chaetostoma spondylusPeru, Cajamarca Region, Quebrada Honda, 13.6cm TL
  • Chaetostoma spondylusCollected in Upper Maranon
  • Chaetostoma spondylusCollected in Upper Maranon. Dorsal view
  • Chaetostoma spondylusCollected in Upper Maranon. Ventral view
Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Chaetostoma spondylus    Salcedo & Ortega, 2015
Common Name
Type Locality Peru, Departamento de Cajamarca, Celendín, Sorochuco, W of Sorochuco, río Sendamal, tributary of río Marañón, 6°51’29.5"S, 78°15’35.2"W.
Pronunciation KATE oh STOW mah
Etymology Greek, chaite = hair + Greek, stoma = mouth. 
Down Species Information
Size 131mm or 5.2" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification The genus Chaetostoma is not straightforward to identify, but as a general rule, the species has spines behind the gill-cover (interopercular odontodes), no plates on the abdomen, and aside from C. platyrhynchus also lack plates on the snout edge. Different from Ancistrus by not having fleshy tentacles on the snout.
Sexing The males have however a larger and broader head, slimmer ventral sides and disproportionately large pelvic fins. Perhaps the over-sized pelvic fins play a large role in the fertilization of the eggs. By inverting these over the clutch of eggs, they prevent the sperm cells being carried away by fast water current.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Río Chotano, río Huancabamba, río Sendamal, and río Utcubamba, mountain tributaries (1500-2000 m above sea level) of río Marañón, Amazon River basin, Peru. Also found in the rio Paltic, Departamento de Cajamarca, Chota, Querocoto.
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón, Upper Marañón, Paltic (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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Other Parameters From original description, C. spondylus lives in highly oxygenated water (8.2 mg/L) with almost neutral pH (7.1).
Down Husbandry Information
Furniture Well rounded stones stacked to replicate a river bottom and provide caves.
Breeding Spawns in shallow, fast flowing water on the underneath of a flat object. Male, upside down, guards an adhesive clutch of eggs by covering it with his body.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Neotropical Ichthyology v. 13 (no. 1), pp 152, Fig. 1.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2025 Jan 01 12:02 (species record created: 2015 Apr 28 14:14)