A new distinctively striped species of bushynose catfish (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Ancistrus) from the Pachitea River drainage, Pasco, Peru.

Abstract

With 76 currently valid species, the bushynose catfish genus Ancistrus is the fourth most species-rich catfish genus, yet Ancistrus diversity remains underestimated, with many species still undescribed. This is especially true of the Peruvian Andean headwaters of the Amazon, which are rich in unnamed Ancistrus species but have received little recent taxonomic attention. We describe a distinctively striped new Ancistrus species from tributaries of the Palcazú River, in the Pachitea-Ucayali-Amazonas drainage basin. The new species differs from all congeners by having black, vermiculated lines covering the head and two to four distinct black, parallel, lateral body stripes from head to caudal fin (vs. body uniformly colored or with dark or light spots or blotches over head and body, or black vermiculate lines on flanks). The new species is the fifth valid species of Ancistrus described from the rich Ucayali River ichthyofauna. It has previously been recognized in the aquarium fish trade as L267.