The interesting genus Loricariichthys currently comprises 19 accepted species. The members of the genus can be reliably recognized by the shape of their lips. These lip-brooding catfishes – similar to many other whiptail catfishes, the male carries the clutch of eggs attached to the lower lip until the larvae hatch – do not have any fringe-like extensions on the lower lip. All other genera have such fringes, whiskers or the like. The situation is quite different when it comes to species identification. For reasons unknown to us, these catfish hardly ever appear in the trade, so that many species are only known from old alcohol preparations and/or from scientific descriptions that are inadequate from today’s point of view. Although species have been discovered and described recently (e.g. Loricariichthys melanurus from southern Brazil in 2021), there is still no modern revision of the entire genus.
We have now been able to import some specimens of a Loricariichthys species from Peru, more precisely from the Rio Blanco, for the first time. Five Loricariichthys species are known from Peru: L. cashibo, L. chanjoo, L. hauxwelli, L. stuebelii and L. ucayalensis. From a geographical point of view, three of these can be considered for the Rio Blanco (which drains via the Rio Tapiche into the Ucayali and finally into the upper Amazon): L. cashibo, L. chanjoo and L. ucayalensis, while L. hauxwelli comes from the Rio Ampiyacu and L. stuebelii from the Rio Huallaga. L. cashibo was only described from a single specimen that was lost; no illustration exists. L. chanjoo was drawn in detail by the first describer; the ventral plates are completely different from those of our specimens, which is why it is most likely that our imports from the Rio Blanco represent L. ucayalensis. Even if there is basically nothing against this assumption, we think it makes more sense to refer to the animals as L. sp. Rio Blanco, as in similar cases it has often turned out later that a more precise scientific examination leads to different results.
Loricariichthys are omnivores and are not particularly difficult to keep. The known species grow to a length of 20-30 cm (L. ucayalensis 20-25 cm) and are somewhat shy, which is why the largest possible aquaria should be used. Otherwise the animals easily bump their snouts when disturbed. As with most lip-brooding whiptail catfish, a sandy substrate is recommended. Furnishing should be done very sparingly, it is much more important to provide as large an open bottom area as possible.
For our customers: the L. sp. Rio Blanco have code 266688 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
