Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Pterygoplichthys anisitsi
Species of catfish From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Pterygoplichthys anisitsi[1][2] also known as the Paraná sailfin catfish, southern sailfin catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae.[3] Its natural range is the middle Paraná and Uruguay River basins of south-central South America,[4] but it has been introduced to North America and South Asia, probably via the pet trade.[5][6] Like other loricariid catfishes, Pterygoplichthys anisitsi has a ventral mouth modified into a sucking disk and a body covered in bony plates.[4] The species typically has a dark and white spotted body pattern, although some individuals are very dark with few spots.[5] It reaches 55 cm (21.7 inches) in total length and can weigh up to at least 2.3 kg.[7]
Remove ads
Gas exchange and respiration
Pterygoplichthys anisitsi is capable of breathing both air and water. During nighttime or when the fish experiences a low-oxygen environment, it will swim to the surface to gulp in air.[8] When breathing air, the species uses its stomach for the diffusion of oxygen into the blood.[9]
Etymology
The fish is named in honor of Juan Daniel Anisits (1856-1911), who collected the type specimen.[10]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads