Astroblepus
Astroblepus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Astroblepidae, the climbing catfishes or naked sucker-mouth catfishes. This genus is the only genus in its family. These catfishes are primarily found in torrential streams in the Andean area. Astroblepus pholeter and A. riberae are troglobites adapted to living in subterranean water systems. These species are typically small, less than. The largest species reaches. These fish have suckermouths like those of loricariids. They have two pairs of barbels, maxillary and nasal. The dorsal fin spine lacks a locking mechanism. These fish also have odontodes, tiny teeth on their skin. All species exhibit a conical, pointy type on their fin rays like that found in other loricarioids; other species also exhibit a blunt type that is only found on their skin.
Some of these fish are able to live in high altitude and climb the faces of waterfalls. Their climbing ability comes from specially developed pelvic fins, as well as their suckermouths. In their Neotropical Andean habitat, dry and wet seasons are quite extreme, and odontodes may help in sensing food, mates and water flow, as well as help cling to surfaces. They feed upon invertebrates, such as caterpillars and annelids.
The Astroblepidae were usually placed within Siluriformes as the sister family of Loricariidae, but a recent study found them to be more closely related to the family Scoloplacidae.
Species
Astroblepus contains the following valid species:Astroblepus acostai Ardila Rodríguez, 2011Astroblepus ardiladuartei Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus ardilai Ardila Rodríguez, 2012Astroblepus bellezaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus boulengeri Astroblepus brachycephalus Astroblepus cacharas Ardila Rodríguez, 2011Astroblepus cajamarcaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus caquetae Fowler, 1943Astroblepus chapmani Astroblepus chimborazoi Astroblepus chinchaoensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2014Astroblepus chotae Astroblepus cirratus Astroblepus curitiensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus cyclopus Astroblepus dux Posada, 1909Astroblepus eigenmanni Astroblepus festae Astroblepus fissidens Astroblepus floridablancaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2016Astroblepus floridaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus formosus Fowler, 1945Astroblepus frenatus C. H. Eigenmann, 1918Astroblepus grixalvii Humboldt, 1805Astroblepus guentheri Astroblepus heterodon Astroblepus hidalgoi Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus homodon Astroblepus huallagaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus itae Ardila Rodríguez, 2011Astroblepus jimenezae Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus jurubidae Fowler, 1944Astroblepus labialis N. E. Pearson, 1937Astroblepus latidens C. H. Eigenmann, 1918Astroblepus longiceps N. E. Pearson, 1924Astroblepus longifilis Astroblepus mancoi C. H. Eigenmann, 1928Astroblepus mariae Astroblepus marmoratus Astroblepus martinezi Ardila Rodríguez, 2013Astroblepus mendezi Ardila Rodríguez, 2014Astroblepus micrescens C. H. Eigenmann, 1918Astroblepus mindoensis Astroblepus mojicai Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus moyanensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2014Astroblepus nettoferreirai Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus nicefori G. S. Myers, 1932Astroblepus onzagaensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus orientalis Astroblepus ortegai Ardila Rodríguez, 2012Astroblepus peruanus Astroblepus phelpsi L. P. Schultz, 1944Astroblepus pholeter Collette, 1962Astroblepus pirrensis Astroblepus pradai Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus praeliorum W. R. Allen, 1942Astroblepus prenadillus Astroblepus putumayoensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2015Astroblepus quispei Ardila Rodríguez, 2012Astroblepus regani Astroblepus rengifoi Dahl, 1960Astroblepus retropinnus Astroblepus riberae Cardona & Guerao, 1994Astroblepus rivasae Ardila Rodríguez, 2018Astroblepus rosei C. H. Eigenmann, 1922Astroblepus sabalo Astroblepus santanderensis C. H. Eigenmann, 1918Astroblepus simonsii Astroblepus stuebeli Astroblepus supramollis N. E. Pearson, 1937Astroblepus taczanowskii Astroblepus tamboensis Ardila Rodríguez, 2014Astroblepus theresiae Astroblepus trifasciatus Astroblepus ubidiai Astroblepus unifasciatus Astroblepus vaillanti Astroblepus vanceae Astroblepus ventralis Astroblepus verai Ardila Rodríguez, 2015