Information Last Reviewed Spring 2007
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Loricariidae
Juvenile Morphology
Unknown
Adult Morphology
Body covered with flexible bony plates 
Ventral sucking mouth 
Abdomen covered with large white spots irregularly joined to form a vermiculate pattern
9 to 14 dorsal fin rays with a single spine
Pectoral fins with thick toothed spines
Distinguishing Characteristics
Flexible bony plates and ventral sucking mouth distinguish Loricariids from native bullhead catfish, which have a terminal mouth and lack bony plates and a dorsal spine
Organisms in the genus Pterygoplichthys can be distinguished from armored catfish in the genus Hypostomus by 9 to 14 dorsal fin rays with a single spine instead of 7-8 fin rays with a single spine
P. anisitsi is easily confused with P. multiradiatus, P. disjunctivus, and P. pardalis, but can be distinguished by having light spots on a dark background. P. multiradiatus, P. disjunctivus, and P. pardalis have dark spots on a light body 
Behavior*
Males excavate burrows in reservoir banks
Exhibit parental care for their young
Growth
Can grow to more than 35 cm in first two years *
Regularly reach sizes of 40 cm
Maturity*
Armored catfish raised in aquarium can live more than 10 years
Spawning
Unknown
Eggs*
High fecundity ~ 472-1238 mature eggs/female
Laid in burrows
Can survive low water levels as long as the eggs remain moist
Juveniles
Unknown
Preferred Environment*
Warm tropical streams and rivers
Temperature*
Generally intolerant of low water temperatures
Lethal temperature range not determined
May use sewage effluent outflows as a thermal refuge
Oxygen*
Can withstand low oxygen concentrations by breathing atmospheric oxygen 
May survive up to 30 h out of water
Armored catfish exhibit high cardiac hypoxia tolerance 
Salinity
Unknown
Water Quality*
Can tolerate low water quality
Native Range
Native to Paraná and Uruguay river drainages in central South America
North American Distribution (Fuller et al)
Established:
Established, reproducing populations have been documented in southwestern Texas Buffalo Bayou drainage in Harris County
Probable Means of Introduction
Likely released from freshwater aquariums
Negative*
Males excavate tunnels along banks, which leads to siltation problems and shoreline instability
Could possibly displace native algae feeding fish
Feeding behavior could resuspend sediment or alter substrate size
May displace smaller, less aggressive native species
Large pectoral and dorsal spines are a choking hazard to predaceous birds
Positive
None identified
Control Measures
None identified
Armbruster, J.W. 2003. Phylogenetic relationships of the suckermouth armoured catfishes (Loricariidae) with emphasis on the Hypostominae and the Ancistrinae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 141: 1-80.
Hill, J. 2001. Native and Exotic Catfish in Florida part II. University of Florida Cooperative Extensions Service/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences 5(2): 6-7.
Hoover, J.J., K.J. Killgore, and A.F. Cofrancesco. 2004. Suckermouth catfishes: Threats to aquatic ecosystems of the United States? Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program Bulletin Volume 4-1.
MacCormack, T.J., R.S. McKinley, R. Roubach, V.M.F. Almeida-Val, and W.R. Driedzig. 2003. Changes in ventilation, metabolism, and behaviour, but not bradycardia, contribute to hypoxia survival in two species of Amazonian armoured catfish. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81: 272-280.
Nico, L.G. and R.T. Martin. 2001. The South American armored catfish, Pterygoplichthys anisitsi (Pisces: Loricariidae), in Texas, with comments on foreign fish introductions in the American Southwest. The Southwestern Naturalist 46(1) 98-104.
Page, L.M. 1994. Identification of sailfin catfishes introduced to Florida. Florida Scientist 57: 171-172.
West, J. L. , J.R. Bailey, V.M.F. Almedida, A.L. Val, B.D. Sidell, and W.R. Driedzic. 1999. Activity levels of enzymes of energy metabolism in heart and red muscle are higher in north-temperate-zone than in Amazonian teleosts. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77(5): 690-696.
Additional Literature
Delariva, R.L. and A.A. Agostinho. 2001. Relationship between morphology and diets of six neotropical loricariids. Journal of Fish Biology 58: 832-847.
Douglas, R.H., S.P. Collin, and J. Corrigan. 2002. The eyes of suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae, subfamily Hypostomus): Pupil response, lenticular longitudinal spherical aberration and retinal topography. The Journal of Experimental Biology 205(22): 3425-3433.
Graham, J.B. and T.A. Baird. 1982. The transition to air breathing in fishes. I. Environmental effects on the facultative air breathing of Anistrus, Chagresi, and Hypostomus Plecostomus (Loricariidae). Journal of Experimental Biology 96: 53-67.
MacCormack, T.J., J.R.Treberg, V.M.F. Almeida-Val, A.L. Val, W.R. driedzic. 2003. Mitochondrial KATP channels and sarcoplasmic reticulum influence cardiac force development under anoxia in the Amazonian armored catfish Liposarcus pardalis. Comparitave Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 134: 441-448
Nelson, J. A. 2002. Metabolism of three species of herbivorous loricariid catfishes: Influence of size and diet. Journal of Fish Biology 61: 1586-1599.
Fish Base:
Planet Catfish
http://www.planetcatfish.com/core/index.php
(*) Denotes a general characteristic common to the members of the genus Pterygoplichthys