Trichomycterus
1 species
Trichomycterus is a genus of fish in the family Trichomycteridae, the largest genus of its family with over 170 species currently described. This genus is native to freshwater habitats in Central and South America. These fish are generally small, usually about 5 to 15 cm (2–6 in) in standard length, although the largest, T. rivulatus, can reach more than twice this size. Species differ from one another primarily in body proportions, fin ray counts and colouration. Despite their relatively small size, some, such as T. punctulatus, support fisheries and are important in the local cuisine.
Species of Trichomycterus inhabit a diversity of habitats throughout South and Central America from Costa Rica in the north to Patagonia in the south and from lowland Atlantic rainforest in the east to Andean highland streams in the west. They are, together with Astroblepus and Orestias, among the very few native fish genera at high altitude in the Andes and in some places, for example certain high-elevation localities in western Argentina, Trichomycterus are the only fishes. About 60 nominal species are endemic to the river basins draining the Andes and hills of the Guianan Shield and about 30 species are endemic to river basins draining the Brazilian Shield.
Despite the broad distribution of the genus, most species have limited distributions and usually are restricted to only one river. Wide-ranging species are most likely complexes of species that are difficult to differentiate, such as the T. brasiliensis species-complex. Trichomycterus gorgona, from a small stream on Gorgona Island located west of the Pacific coast of Colombia, is the first known trichomycterid to be endemic to an offshore island. Many species are troglobitic.
Trichomycterus is a genus of fish in the family Trichomycteridae, the largest genus of its family with over 170 species currently described. This genus is native to freshwater habitats in Central and South America. These fish are generally small, usually about 5 to 15 cm (2–6 in) in standard length, although the largest, T. rivulatus, can reach more than twice this size. Species differ from one another primarily in body proportions, fin ray counts and colouration. Despite their relatively small size, some, such as T. punctulatus, support fisheries and are important in the local cuisine.
Species of Trichomycterus inhabit a diversity of habitats throughout South and Central America from Costa Rica in the north to Patagonia in the south and from lowland Atlantic rainforest in the east to Andean highland streams in the west. They are, together with Astroblepus and Orestias, among the very few native fish genera at high altitude in the Andes and in some places, for example certain high-elevation localities in western Argentina, Trichomycterus are the only fishes. About 60 nominal species are endemic to the river basins draining the Andes and hills of the Guianan Shield and about 30 species are endemic to river basins draining the Brazilian Shield.
Despite the broad distribution of the genus, most species have limited distributions and usually are restricted to only one river. Wide-ranging species are most likely complexes of species that are difficult to differentiate, such as the T. brasiliensis species-complex. Trichomycterus gorgona, from a small stream on Gorgona Island located west of the Pacific coast of Colombia, is the first known trichomycterid to be endemic to an offshore island. Many species are troglobitic.
