Rineloricaria

Rineloricaria is a genus of freshwater tropical catfish belonging to the family Loricariidae. They are commonly called whiptail catfish because of the long filament that grows out of the tip of the caudal fin that is characteristic of the genus. With the exception of R. altipinnis from Panama, they are native to the rivers of northern and central South America. Some species are regularly seen in the aquarium trade.

Taxonomy

This genus was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1862, with R. lima as the type species. This genus is by far one of the most speciose of the subfamily Loricariinae, containing approx 60 species. On the other hand, it is one of the least resolved genera. In 2008, 14 new species were added to this genus.
Hemiloricaria, Ixinandria, Fonchiiichthys, and Leliella been variably considered synonyms of Rineloricaria; these genera were erected to account for differences in sexually dimorphic traits. However, the traits used to diagnose these genera have been thought to be insufficient.

Species

There are currently 75 recognized species in this genus:Rineloricaria aequalicuspis R. E. dos Reis & A. R. Cardoso, 2001Rineloricaria altipinnis Rineloricaria anhaguapitan Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria anitae Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria atratoensis Castellanos-Mejía, Londoño-Burbano, Ochoa, García-Alzate & DoNascimiento, 2024Rineloricaria aurata Rineloricaria baliola M. S. Rodriguez & R. E. dos Reis, 2008Rineloricaria beni Rineloricaria buckupi Mejia, Ferraro & Souto-Santos, 2025Rineloricaria cacerensis Rineloricaria cachivera Urbano-Bonilla, Londoño-Burbano & Carvalho, 2023Rineloricaria cadeae Rineloricaria capitonia Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria caracasensis Rineloricaria castroi Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1984Rineloricaria catamarcensis Rineloricaria cubataonis Rineloricaria daraha Rapp Py-Daniel & Fichberg, 2008Rineloricaria eigenmanni Rineloricaria fallax Rineloricaria felipponei Rineloricaria formosa Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1979Rineloricaria giua Castellanos-Mejía, Londoño-Burbano, Ochoa, García-Alzate & DoNascimiento, 2024Rineloricaria hasemani Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1979Rineloricaria henselii Rineloricaria heteroptera Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1976Rineloricaria isaaci M. S. Rodriguez & Miquelarena, 2008Rineloricaria jaraguensis Rineloricaria jubata Rineloricaria jurupari Rineloricaria konopickyi Rineloricaria kronei Rineloricaria lanceolata Rineloricaria langei Ingenito, Ghazzi, Duboc & Abilhoa, 2008Rineloricaria latirostris Rineloricaria lima Rineloricaria longicauda R. E. dos Reis, 1983Rineloricaria maacki Ingenito, Ghazzi, Duboc & Abilhoa, 2008Rineloricaria magdalenae Rineloricaria malabarbai M. S. Rodriguez & R. E. dos Reis, 2008Rineloricaria maquinensis R. E. dos Reis & A. R. Cardoso, 2001Rineloricaria melini Rineloricaria microlepidogaster Rineloricaria microlepidota Rineloricaria misionera M. S. Rodriguez & Miquelarena, 2005Rineloricaria morrowi Fowler, 1940Rineloricaria nigricauda Rineloricaria nudipectoris Rineloricaria osvaldoi Fichberg & Chamon, 2008Rineloricaria paraibensis Mejia & Buckup, 2024Rineloricaria pareiacantha Rineloricaria parva Rineloricaria pentamaculata Langeani & R. B. de Araujo, 1994Rineloricaria phoxocephala Rineloricaria platyura Rineloricaria quadrensis R. E. dos Reis, 1983Rineloricaria quilombola Chamon & Fichberg, 2022Rineloricaria reisi Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria rodriquezae Costa-Silva, Oliveira & Costa, 2021Rineloricaria rupestris Rineloricaria sanga Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria setepovos Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria sneiderni Rineloricaria steinbachi Rineloricaria steindachneri Rineloricaria stellata Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria stewarti Rineloricaria strigilata Rineloricaria teffeana Rineloricaria thrissoceps Rineloricaria tropeira Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria uracantha Rineloricaria wolfei Fowler, 1940Rineloricaria zaina Ghazzi, 2008Rineloricaria zawadzkii Silva, Costa & Oliveira, 2022
;SynonymsRineloricaria hoehnei ; valid as ''R. lanceolata''

Distribution and habitat

The genus is widely distributed on nearly the entire subcontinent, from Costa Rica to Argentina, on both slopes of the Andes. Rineloricaria species are found in a large variety of habitats, including large rivers, streams, and lagoons, associated with bottoms consisting of sand or rocks, sometimes found in marginal vegetation. They are also found to tolerate environments with a wide temperature gradient. Rineloricaria have an adaptive capacity enabling many species to exploit the most varied habitats; some species, such as R. strigilata, have been caught in highly polluted bodies of water and represent some of the main components of the ichthyological diversity in such habitats.

Appearance and anatomy

The average length of a Rineloricaria catfish is about long. The fish are long, slender, have no visible barbels, an erect dorsal fin, a very thin caudal peduncle, and a narrow face. The coloration of the fishes is usually light brown with darker blotches, and have a dark dorsal fin. They are also covered with bony plates and have a sucker disk mouth, as is common with most fish in the family Loricariidae.

Reproduction

Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied development of the odontodes along the sides of the head, on the pectoral spines and rays, and predorsal area of mature males. Several species also show hypertrophied development of the odontodes on the entire caudal peduncle. In males, the pectoral fin spine is often thick, short, and curved when compared to the female. Rineloricaria are cavity brooders. Numerous eggs are laid attached to one another in single layer masses on the cavity floor, and are brooded by males. Rineloricaria exhibit high levels of karyotypic diversity with chromosome numbers ranging from 36 to 70.