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Ancistrus minutus Fisch-Muller, Mazzoni & Weber, 2001

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Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-7; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 4; Vertebrae: 28 - 29. Small, wide, and very depressed body; short dorsal fin (3.9-4.6 times in SL); wide mouth; a small area of supraoccipital plate often depressed, slightly granular or without odontodes; exposed part of nuchal plate minute or totally covered by skin; dorsal and fins brownish with numerous small whitish spots, lips and belly yellowish, totally or mostly unpigmented. Dermal plates along dorsal-fin base 7-8. Short interdorsal distance, 5.5-6 times in SL. Aquarium Care: The Ancistrus genera make good community fish where they do not grow too big for the aquarium. Some species have different requirements in the aquarium so best to read up on the species you have whereas if they need higher oxygen requirements or not, or if they prefer cooler waters if they originate from the southern parts of South America against the species from further up north. Diet: Vegetable foods such as cucumber and courgette and also tablet and meaty foods. Reproduction: The female lays her eggs in caves or crevices... that the male has chosen and cleaned.... as a cluster. The male usually then guards the eggs after ejecting the female. The fry then cling to the sides of the cave and when they use up their yolk sac, which is around the four to seven day period, they will be ready to feed on infusuria, vegetable matter, brine shrimp naupli or micro worms. In a community tank a few will survive if enough hiding places are afforded to them. Etymology: The specific name minutus: Minute, known for its small size. Remarks: This small species is sometimes exported alongside Ancistrus aguaboensis from the Rio Tocantins.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

South America: Upper Tocantins tributaries in Goiás State upstream of Serra da Mesa dam, Brazil. Type locality: Brazil: Goiás: Minaçú: córrego Batéias, a left bank tributary of the upper Rio Tocantins (13º49'S 48º20'W).

Size:

6.0cm. (2½ins)

Temp:

24-28°c (75-83°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

IUCN Red List

Ancistrus minutus is endemic to Brazil, known from a few very close localities in the upper Tocantins River basin, in the Serra da Mesa region, Goiás state. The area has been sampled since the species was described in 2001, but without new records. All localities where the species has been recorded are above the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Plant, leaving few stretches outside its flood zone. The type locality of the species, in the Bateias stream, is currently flooded by the dam. The recorded and estimated area of occupancy of A. minutus, where the species can still be found, assuming local extinctions in the hydroelectric plant's flood zone, is 310 km² . Considering the impacts caused by the construction of the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Plant as the main current threat to the species, a maximum of four locations were defined: stretches of the Traíras River, Acaba Vida stream, Acaba Saco stream, and Bateias stream. Furthermore, A. minutus suffers from diffuse threats such as environmental degradation, agriculture, and urbanisation. Therefore, a continued decline in the area of occupancy, extent of occurrence, and habitat quality of the species is indicated. Thus, Ancistrus minutus has been categorised as Endangered (EN), (IUCN 2021).

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Fisch-Muller, S., R. Mazzoni and C. Weber, 2001. Genetic and morphological evidences for two new sibling species of Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) in upper rio Tocantins drainage, Brazil. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 12(4):289-304.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Haagensen, H., Pers comm. 2013.

Family: Loricariidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Ancistrus minutes

Ancistrus minutes

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