Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus
Encyclopedia
Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus is a tropical fish
known as a Plecostomus
belonging to the armored catfish family (Loricariidae
). Named for its sail-like dorsal fin
, the part of its scientific name multiradiatus means "many-rayed" and refers to the rays of the dorsal fin
. P. multiradiatus is one of a number of species commonly referred to as the common pleco by aquarists.
Other scientific names that were used (as synonyms) for P. multiradiatus include Hypostomus multiradiatus, Ancistrus multiradiatus, and Liposarcus multiradiatus. P. multiradiatus is sometimes confused with Pterygoplichthys pardalis
, which is a different species of pleco. P. multiradiatus goes by a number of common names. It can be called the "long-fin armored catfish" in Hawaii
, "sailfin catfish", "sailfish catfish", "many-rayed (multiradiatus) pleco" or "radiated ptero" in the USA, 多輻翼甲鯰 in Mandarin Chinese and janitor fish in the Philippines
, where it has become a local pest in the marikina river and is sold in bulk, in efforts to eliminate the fish.
P. multiradiatus is mottled brown/black and inhabits freshwater streams and lakes and in weedy, mud-bottomed canals in its native habitat: the Orinoco River basin in South America
. Its geographic distribution is 10°N - 1°N, 68°W - 61°W. This tropical, nocturnal bottom-dweller likes warm water at the temperature range of 23 - 27°C, pH range: 6.5 - 7.8, and dH range: 4 - 20.
P. multiradiatus browses on substrate, mainly feeding on benthic algae and aquatic weeds, but will also take worms, insect larvae and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates as food.
One of the large plecos (growing to a maximum of 50 cm), this species likes solitude, is relatively peaceful as an aquarium fish and does well with cichlids and other big fish, and should be kept in large tanks only and with plenty of rocks and driftwood in which to hide.
P. multiradiatus is not of interest in the fisheries, but is very important, as with many other plecos, in the aquarium trade.
This species has been introduced to Hawaii
, Puerto Rico
, Vietnam
, Bangladesh
, México
and Florida
.
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...
known as a Plecostomus
Plecostomus
Hypostomus plecostomus is the scientific name for a type of freshwater tropical Central and South American fish belonging to the family Loricariidae. They are large algae eaters, and to differentiate them from small algae eaters, they are often referred to as plecostomus, often abbreviated as...
belonging to the armored catfish family (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...
). Named for its sail-like dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, the part of its scientific name multiradiatus means "many-rayed" and refers to the rays of the dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
. P. multiradiatus is one of a number of species commonly referred to as the common pleco by aquarists.
Other scientific names that were used (as synonyms) for P. multiradiatus include Hypostomus multiradiatus, Ancistrus multiradiatus, and Liposarcus multiradiatus. P. multiradiatus is sometimes confused with Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Pterygoplichthys pardalis is a tropical fish, a Plecostomus in the Armored Catfish family . Some synonyms for this species are Hypostomus pardalis, Liposarcus pardalis, Liposarcus varius, and Liposarcus jeanesianus. It is one of a number of species commonly referred to as the Common Pleco or...
, which is a different species of pleco. P. multiradiatus goes by a number of common names. It can be called the "long-fin armored catfish" in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, "sailfin catfish", "sailfish catfish", "many-rayed (multiradiatus) pleco" or "radiated ptero" in the USA, 多輻翼甲鯰 in Mandarin Chinese and janitor fish in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where it has become a local pest in the marikina river and is sold in bulk, in efforts to eliminate the fish.
P. multiradiatus is mottled brown/black and inhabits freshwater streams and lakes and in weedy, mud-bottomed canals in its native habitat: the Orinoco River basin in 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...
. Its geographic distribution is 10°N - 1°N, 68°W - 61°W. This tropical, nocturnal bottom-dweller likes warm water at the temperature range of 23 - 27°C, pH range: 6.5 - 7.8, and dH range: 4 - 20.
P. multiradiatus browses on substrate, mainly feeding on benthic algae and aquatic weeds, but will also take worms, insect larvae and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates as food.
One of the large plecos (growing to a maximum of 50 cm), this species likes solitude, is relatively peaceful as an aquarium fish and does well with cichlids and other big fish, and should be kept in large tanks only and with plenty of rocks and driftwood in which to hide.
P. multiradiatus is not of interest in the fisheries, but is very important, as with many other plecos, in the aquarium trade.
This species has been introduced to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, México
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.