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This species of catfish was found in a pristine river rich with many other fish species in the Acarai Mountains just north of the border between Guyana and Brazil. Typically, bristlenose catfish are found in fast flowing Amazon tributaries in South America and tend to be more active at night.
They feed upon vegetable matter and as they mature the males can be recognized by the presence of long bristles along their nose; females exhibit smaller bristles than males.
During breeding, the female will lay her eggs in an area that is sheltered such as a cave, or inside a log.; it is then up to the male to fan the eggs which helps to oxygenate and clean them, and defend them from predators.
In some cases, a number of females will lay their eggs in the same den at the same time, and the male is then responsible for watching all of them at once. The total eggs can number in the hundreds – keeping the male very busy.
Scientific name
Ancistrus sp.
Where
The Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Southern Guyana, South America
When
October 2006
Finder/s
Fundación La Salle de Ciencia Naturales, Museo de Historia Natural La Salle – (Carlos A. Lasso, Lina Mesa, Hector Samudio, Julián Mora-Day)