Andean catfish
Encyclopedia
The Andean catfish is a species of fish
in the Astroblepidae family. It is endemic to the highlands of Ecuador
in the Ecuadorian Andes
. Its natural habitat
s are mountainous river
s, freshwater spring
/Aquifer
s, and inland karst
s. It is critically endangered and threatened by habitat loss, pollution and fishing. Its diet consists of other fish and invertebrate
s such as frogs, snails, algae and other aquatic organisms. They are able to find food at night by sensing it through barbels around the mouth, which contain sensitive taste buds. The spanish name for the Andean catfish is Prenadilla. Andean catfish are found in basin/drainage like habitats that are isolated from one another by pasture grounds, fields, human settlements and the presence of predators like piscivore
ous large mouth bass in surrounding lakes. The Andean catfish is often found in freshwater springs and Ecuadorean caves. Andean catfish are brownish gray and have no scales; large adult Andean catfish can grow up to 150 mm.
Ó 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h014432572h33126/
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the Astroblepidae family. It is endemic to the highlands of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
in the Ecuadorian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are mountainous river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, freshwater spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
/Aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s, and inland karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
s. It is critically endangered and threatened by habitat loss, pollution and fishing. Its diet consists of other fish and invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s such as frogs, snails, algae and other aquatic organisms. They are able to find food at night by sensing it through barbels around the mouth, which contain sensitive taste buds. The spanish name for the Andean catfish is Prenadilla. Andean catfish are found in basin/drainage like habitats that are isolated from one another by pasture grounds, fields, human settlements and the presence of predators like piscivore
Piscivore
A piscivore is a carnivorous animal which eats primarily fish. Piscivory was the diet of early tetrapods , insectivory came next, then in time reptiles added herbivory....
ous large mouth bass in surrounding lakes. The Andean catfish is often found in freshwater springs and Ecuadorean caves. Andean catfish are brownish gray and have no scales; large adult Andean catfish can grow up to 150 mm.
Source
- Environmental Biology of Fishes 71: 296, 2004.
Ó 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h014432572h33126/
- Velez-Espino, L.A. 2004. Astroblepus ubidiai. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 August 2007.