Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypostominae
Etymology: Pterygoplichthys: Greek, pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin + Greek, hoplon = weapon + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Castelnau.
Issue
New combination in Günther (1864:239). Eto-ecology and economic value in Serpa (1967); redescription with new synonyms in Weber (1992:10).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 20. Tropical; 23°C - 28°C (Ref. 13614)
South America: Lower, middle and upper Amazon River basin. Introduced to countries outside its native range.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 57.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 126024); max. published weight: 655.30 g (Ref. 125975)
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Facultative air breather.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Burgess, W.E., 1989. An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey (USA). 784 p. (Ref. 6868)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02399 (0.01763 - 0.03265), b=2.96 (2.92 - 3.00), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).