Farlowella
Encyclopedia
Farlowella is a genus
of catfish
(order
Siluriformes) of the family
Loricariidae
. These fish
resemble twig
s or sticks, hence the common name
s twig catfish or stick catfish. They may also sometimes be referred to as whiptail catfish. Twig catfishes are natives of South America
.
. Morphological, molecular, and phylogenetic studies have placed Farlowella as sister
to Sturisoma
.
The genus name of Farlowella is named in honor of William Gilson Farlow
, a famous American
botanist of Harvard University
whose main work was working with algae
plants, the favorite food of this slender catfish
.
, Orinoco, Paraná
, and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield. It is absent from the Pacific slope of the Andes
and from the coastal rivers of the Brazil
ian shield.
and a brownish color with two lateral dark stripes beginning at the tip of the rostrum, passing over the eyes and ending at the tail, which are periodically interrupted on the caudal peduncle. Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied odontode
s along the sides of the rostrum or the head in species with a short rostrum.
There are only slight differences between the different types which sometimes lead to confusion. A very important identification is the presence of ventral scutes on these species which differentiates them from each other. Twig catfishes grow between 10 centimetres (4 in) SL
in F. smithi and 26.5 cm (10.4 in) SL in F. nattereri.
. Some specimens can sometimes be found in swift current over rocks and submerged wood. These species
appear scarce, but this may partially be explained by their mimicry. These species are open water brooders. The eggs
are laid on open vertical surfaces such as submerged vegetation or rocks, in a single layer and are guarded by the male.
. Twig catfishes require clean water with high dissolved oxygen content. Twig catfish are often lost without enough greens to feed upon.
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
(order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Siluriformes) of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Loricariidae
Loricariidae
Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish , with almost 700 species and new species being described each year. Loricariids originate from fresh water habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and...
. These fish
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...
resemble twig
Twig
A twig is a small thin terminal branch of a woody plant. Twigs are critically important in identification of trees, shrubs and vines, especially in wintertime. The buds on the twig are an important diagnostic characteristic, as are the abscission scars where the leaves have fallen away...
s or sticks, hence the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s twig catfish or stick catfish. They may also sometimes be referred to as whiptail catfish. Twig catfishes are natives of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Taxonomy
Farlowella is placed within the tribe Harttiini of the subfamily LoricariinaeLoricariinae
Loricariinae is a subfamily of the family Loricariidae of catfish . This subfamily is divided into two tribes and about 30 genera.-Taxonomy:...
. Morphological, molecular, and phylogenetic studies have placed Farlowella as sister
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
to Sturisoma
Sturisoma
Sturisoma is a genus of catfishes of the family Loricariidae.-Distribution:The species of the genus Sturisoma are widely distributed on both slopes of the Andes, in Panama and Colombia, and in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná River basins.-Description:Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied...
.
The genus name of Farlowella is named in honor of William Gilson Farlow
William Gilson Farlow
William Gilson Farlow was an American botanist, born in Boston, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard , where, after several years of European study, he became adjunct professor of botany in 1874 and professor of cryptogamic botany in 1879.In 1899 he was president of the American Society of...
, a famous American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
botanist of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
whose main work was working with algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
plants, the favorite food of this slender catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
.
Distribution
The genus Farlowella is broadly distributed in AmazonAmazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
, Orinoco, Paraná
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
, and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield. It is absent from the Pacific slope of the 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...
and from the coastal rivers of the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian shield.
Appearance and anatomy
Farlowella has a unique body shape that resembles of a thin stick of wood. The body is slender and elongate, often with a pronounced rostrumRostrum (anatomy)
The term rostrum is used for a number of unrelated structures in different groups of animals:*In crustaceans, the rostrum is the forward extension of the carapace in front of the eyes....
and a brownish color with two lateral dark stripes beginning at the tip of the rostrum, passing over the eyes and ending at the tail, which are periodically interrupted on the caudal peduncle. Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied odontode
Odontode
Odontodes, or dermal teeth, are hard structures found on the external surfaces of animals or near internal openings. They comprise a soft pulp surrounded by dentine and covered by a mineralized substance such as enamel, a structure similar to that of teeth. They generally do not have the same...
s along the sides of the rostrum or the head in species with a short rostrum.
There are only slight differences between the different types which sometimes lead to confusion. A very important identification is the presence of ventral scutes on these species which differentiates them from each other. Twig catfishes grow between 10 centimetres (4 in) SL
Fish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
in F. smithi and 26.5 cm (10.4 in) SL in F. nattereri.
Habitat and ecology
Twig catfishes feed primarily on algae in their natural habitat. Species inhabit areas of gently flowing water in submerged dead leaves and sticks, among which it blends in as a form of camouflageCamouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. Some specimens can sometimes be found in swift current over rocks and submerged wood. These species
appear scarce, but this may partially be explained by their mimicry. These species are open water brooders. The eggs
are laid on open vertical surfaces such as submerged vegetation or rocks, in a single layer and are guarded by the male.
In the aquarium
F. acus, F. vittata and F. gracilis are the most commonly exported species for the aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
. Twig catfishes require clean water with high dissolved oxygen content. Twig catfish are often lost without enough greens to feed upon.
Species list
Species according to ITISItis
Itis may refer to* Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species...
.
- Farlowella acusFarlowella acusFarlowella acus is the type species of a genus of loricariid catfish commonly known as twig catfish. The species name means “pointed” or a “needle” or “spine”.-Distribution:F. acus are found in Lake Valencia and the Torito river basins....
(Kner, 1853) - Farlowella altocorpusFarlowella altocorpusFarlowella altocorpus is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is endemic to Bolivia....
Retzer, 2006 - Farlowella amazonumFarlowella amazonumFarlowella amazonum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae....
(GüntherAlbert C. L. G. GüntherAlbert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist....
, 1864) - Farlowella colombiensisFarlowella colombiensisFarlowella columbiensis is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is endemic to Colombia....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella curtirostraFarlowella curtirostraFarlowella curtirostra is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
MyersGeorge S. MyersDr. George Sprague Myers spent most of his career at Stanford University, where he was one of the leading American ichthyologists of the twentieth century. He served as the editor of Stanford Ichthyological Bulletin as well as president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists...
, 1942 - Farlowella gracilisFarlowella gracilisFarlowella gracilis is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is endemic to Colombia....
Regan, 1904 - Farlowella hahniFarlowella hahniFarlowella hahni is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Meinken, 1937 - Farlowella hasemaniFarlowella hasemaniFarlowella hasemani is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae....
Eigenmann & Vance, 1917 - Farlowella henriqueiFarlowella henriqueiFarlowella henriquei is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Miranda-Ribeiro, 1918 - Farlowella isbruckeriFarlowella isbruckeriFarlowella isbruckeri is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella jauruensisFarlowella jauruensisFarlowella jauruensis is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Eigenmann & Vance, 1917 - Farlowella kneriiFarlowella kneriiFarlowella knerii, also referred to as "acestra knerii", is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is endemic to Ecuador....
(SteindachnerFranz SteindachnerFranz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
, 1882) - Farlowella mariaelenaeFarlowella mariaelenaeFarlowella mariaelenae is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Martín Salazar, 1964 - Farlowella martiniFarlowella martiniFarlowella martini is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Fernández-Yépez, 1972 - Farlowella nattereriFarlowella nattereriFarlowella nattereri is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Steindachner, 1910 - Farlowella odontotumulusFarlowella odontotumulusFarlowella odontotumulus is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella oxyrrynchaFarlowella oxyrrynchaFarlowella oxyrryncha is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
(Kner, 1853) - Farlowella paraguayensisFarlowella paraguayensisFarlowella paraguayensis is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella platorynchaFarlowella platorynchaFarlowella platoryncha is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella reticulataFarlowella reticulataFarlowella reticulata is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Boeseman, 1971 - Farlowella rugosaFarlowella rugosaFarlowella rugosa is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae....
Boeseman, 1971 - Farlowella schreitmuelleriFarlowella schreitmuelleriFarlowella schreitmuelleri is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Ahl, 1937 - Farlowella smithiFarlowella smithiFarlowella smithi is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
FowlerHenry Weed FowlerHenry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan...
, 1913 - Farlowella taphorniFarlowella taphorniFarlowella taphorni is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Retzer & Page, 1997 - Farlowella venezuelensisFarlowella venezuelensisFarlowella venezuelensis is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae ....
Martín Salazar, 1964 - Farlowella vittataFarlowella vittataFarlowella vittata is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae .-Breeding:The female lays the eggs on a surface during the night and the male fertilizes them. The male then stays near the eggs to protect them from predators to and ensure fungus does not grow on the eggs...
Myers, 1942