Something is happening with the South American bumblebee and frog catfishes! In former times they were assigned to the long-whiskered catfishes (Pimelodidae), today they are placed in an own family, the Pseudopimelodidae. Often in the trade are the striking yellow-black marked, only 3-8 cm large South American bumblebee catfishes (Microglanis, 23 species), and the similarly colorful, but with up to 20 cm significantly larger South American frog catfishes (Batrochoglanis). Predator fans appreciate the whimsical Lophiosilurus alexandri and the marbled Cephalosilurus, both genera whose representatives sometimes exceed the 30-cm mark.
Recently (2017), a new genus of stream-loving Pseudopimelodidae was described, Rhyacoglanis, with 7 assigned species (5 of which are new, 2 transferred to Rhyacoglanis from other genera). These are pretty, often yellow-black ringed species, growing 5-8 cm long. And in 2021, a phylogenetic study (i.e., a paper analyzing the more precise relationships) of the Pseudopimelodidae was published.
We could just import again four specimens of a pseudopimelid catfish from Venezuela, whose determination seemed to us very complex in the light of the new work. In the meantime, however, we are of the opinion that it is a representative of the genus Batrochoglanis; earlier we would have certainly addressed it as Cephalosilurus apurensis (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/cephalosilurus_apurensis_en/ and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/cephalosilurus-apurensis-2/), now, due to the unclear situation with Batrochoglanis, more cautiously as Batrochoglanis sp. Venezuela.
For our customers: the animals have code 214644 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
