Cat-eLog Right Loricariidae Right Hypostominae Right The genus Chaetostoma

Down Summary of Chaetostoma
Pronounced KATE oh STOW mah
Etymology Greek, chaite = hair + Greek, stoma = mouth.
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.
Furniture Well rounded stones stacked to replicate a river bottom and provide caves.
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.
Breeding Spawns in shallow, fast flowing water on the underneath of a flat object. Male, upside down, guards an adhesive clutch of eggs by, more or less, covering it with his body.
Size Smallest 49mm, largest 300mm, average 129mm, most commonly 120mm. All SL.
Species There are 82 "species" in the database
Keepers 24 species (29%) are being kept by registered keepers
New spp. / time
1750 1770 1790 1810 1830 1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 
Distribution

Log in to view data on a map.
Down Most Kept Species
1. Chaetostoma formosae (39.61%)
2. Chaetostoma sp. (L445) (35.18%)
3. Chaetostoma dorsale (5.26%)
4. Chaetostoma anale (3.6%)
5. Chaetostoma sp. `RIO ZUATA(ORINOCO)` (3.32%)
6. Chaetostoma sp. (L402) (2.77%)
7. Chaetostoma sp. (L455) (2.22%)
8. Chaetostoma aff. lineopunctatum (1.66%)
9. Chaetostoma joropo (0.55%)
10. Chaetostoma brevilabiatum (0.55%)
11. Chaetostoma sp. (L457) (0.55%)
Down Genus Thumbnails