Review of Andean Dolichancistrus

[Silurus]

Ballen, GA & RP Vari, 2012. Review of the Andean armored catfishes of the genus Dolichancistrus Isbrücker (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Neotropical Ichthyology 10: 499–518.

Moderator edit: Old link is dead. New link is http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S16 ... ci_arttext

[bekateen]

From that paper - Key to species of

Dolichancistrus

:

• 1. Buccal papilla absent at premaxillary symphysis; hypertrophied snout odontodes in mature males and females either restricted to anterolateral regions of snout margin, or weakly developed on narrow anterior region of snout in addition to anterolateral odontode patch present in some specimens ...
  Dolichancistrus cobrensis
• 1'. Buccal papilla present at premaxillary symphysis; hypertrophied snout odontodes in mature males extending along entire margin of snout and sometimes also onto medial region of head from tip of snout to nares ... 2

[bekateen]

• 2. Anterior margin of adpressed posterior dorsal cheek plate medially contacting anterior margin of exposed portion of opercle; tip of adpressed pectoral-fin spine in mature males extending distinctly beyond tip of adpressed pelvic-fin spine and in mature females to tip of pelvic-fin spine ...
  Dolichancistrus fuesslii
• 2'. Anterior margin of adpressed posterior dorsal cheek plate not medially contacting anterior margin of exposed portion of opercle; tip of adpressed pectoral-fin spine in mature males extending to area between middle and tip of adpressed pelvic-fin spine and in mature females reaching to area between base and middle of pelvic-fin spine ... 3

[bekateen]

• 3. Anterior dorsal cheek plate ventrally triangular and distinctly smaller than posterior check plate in lateral view; length of anal-fin spine less than or nearly equal to one-third length of pelvic-fin spine ...
  Dolichancistrus atratoensis
• 3'. Anterior dorsal cheek plate square and approximately as large as posterior check plate in lateral view; length of anal-fin spine nearly equaling or exceeding one-half length of pelvic-fin spine ...
  Dolichancistrus carnegiei

[bekateen]

Interesting side note. In the Ballen & Vari (2012) paper above, Ballen & Vari reference Galvis et al. (1997), who published a book showing a photo purportedly of D. cobrensis (shown here, first picture). But Ballen & Vari propose that the fish pictured is actually Lasiancistrus, most likely

Lasiancistrus guacharote

based on catch location. Galvis et al. also featured a photo of "Lasiancistrus mayoloi" (second photo below), which they synonymized with L. maracaiboensis (which is now synonymized with

Lasiancistrus guacharote

). Again, based on the catch location listed for the fish pictured, Rio Catatumbo, this is also likely to be L. guacharote. It would not have been L. mayoloi, which is from a different location and is now synonymized with Lasiancistrus caucanus.