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Acestridium dichromum

Green Whiptail · Grüner Zwergnadelwels

Retzer, Nico & Provenzano, 1999

Last revised 2024Edit this page

On this page4 sections
This species is capable of taking on a greenish or brownish (as here) colour pattern depending on its surroundings.
This species is capable of taking on a greenish or brownish (as here) colour pattern depending on its surroundings.Enrico Richter

Quick factsEdit

Max size
65mm SL2.6in SL
Aquarium size
not recorded
Temp
not recorded
pH
not recorded
Hardness
not recorded

Difficulty3 of 8 measures

Moderate

How the rating is worked out

Space
medium tank
Water
unknown
Temp
unknown
Diet
unknown
Temperament
unknown
Social
needs to be in a group
Compatibility
choose tankmates carefully

Other demands

Each of these can raise the rating on its own, whatever the measures above say.

Hardiness
unknown

The green whiptail, Acestridium dichromum, is a small loricariid catfish from the upper rio Negro in Brazil and the upper Orinoco in Venezuela. It is known only from those two basins and the drainages between them, including the Casiquiare Canal.

Etymology

Edit

Acestridium: from the Greek akéstra (Gr. ἀκέστρα), meaning 'darning needle' and the Latin diminutive -idium, connoting resemblance. Possibly in reference to the presence of long spines on the snout of type species A. discus.

dichromum: from the Latin dis, meaning 'in two', and Greek chrṓma (Gr. χρῶμα), meaning 'skin, colour'. Probably in reference to this species' ability to change its body colour from brown to green.

Distribution

Edit

Known only from the upper rio Negro basin in Brazil, upper Orinoco in Venezuela and drainages between them, including the Casiquiare Canal.

Type locality is 'Pozo Lucas, tributary of Río Orinoco, 7 kilometers south of San Fernando de Atabapo, 4°02'N, 67°42'W, Orinoco Basin, Amazonas State, Venezuela'.

References

  1. Haseman, J. D. (1911). Descriptions of some new species of fishes and miscellaneous notes on others obtained during the expedition of the Carnegie Museum to central South America. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 7 (3-4; 17), 315-328
  2. Ferraris, C. J., Jr. (2007). Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418, 1-628

Species images · 2

This species is capable of taking on a greenish or brownish (as here) colour pattern depending on its surroundings.
This species is capable of taking on a greenish or brownish (as here) colour pattern depending on its surroundings.Enrico Richter
Detail of head and anterior portion of body.
Detail of head and anterior portion of body.Erlend D. Bertelsen

These photographs are used with each photographer's permission.

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Distribution

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Also missing: aquarium size, habitat, aquarium size notes, maintenance, water condition notes, diet, behaviour and compatibility, sexual dimorphism, reproduction, notes.

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