Platystacus cotylephorus

Platystacus cotylephorus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Aspredinidae
Subfamily:	Aspredininae
Genus:	Platystacus Bloch, 1794
Species:	P. cotylephorus
Binomial name
Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch, 1794
Synonyms
Of Platystacus Platysomatos Bloch, 1797 Cotylephorus Swainson, 1838 Of P. cotylephorus Silurus hexadactylus La Cepède, 1803 Cotylephorus blochii Swainson, 1838 Aspredo sexcirrhis Valenciennes, in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840 Aspredo spectrum Gronow, in Gray, 1854 Platystacus nematophorus Bleeker, 1862

Platystacus cotylephorus the only species of catfish (order Siluriformes) in the genus Platystacus of the family Aspredinidae.^[1] The genus Platystacus is the sister group to a clade containing Aspredo and Aspredinichthys.^[2] P. cotylephorus originates from coastal waters and lower portions of rivers of northern South America, from Venezuela to northern Brazil.^[1]

This species grows up to about 32.0 centimetres (12.6 in) SL and is distinguished from all other aspredinids by having 4+5 caudal fin rays. They are further distinguished from its close relatives by the absence of accessory maxillary barbels and the presence of well developed rows of unculiferous tubercles.^[2]

P. cotylephorus occurs mainly in brackish water and is found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. It is reported to migrate from estuaries into freshwater, but actual spawning apparently takes place in brackish water.^[3] The species has a peculiar mode of egg incubation wherein the female catfish carries the eggs firmly attached to the underside of the body. This seems to be an adaptation to facilitate the oxygenation of the eggs in muddy environments. Reproduction probably occurs during the earlier part of the year.^[3]

External links

• Friel, John P. (14 April 2000). "Platystacus. Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch 1794". Tree of Life Web Project. http://tolweb.org/Platystacus/15263. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ferraris, Carl J., Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa 1418: 1–628. http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Friel, John Patrick (1994-12-13) (PDF). A Phylogenetic Study of the Neotropical Banjo Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Aspredinidae). Duke University, Durham, NC. http://www.cumv.cornell.edu/pdf/Friel_Ph.D._Thesis_1994.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Platystacus cotylephorus" in FishBase. Aug 2007 version.