Stegophilus insidiosus Reinhardt, 1859

Family:  Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes), subfamily: Stegophilinae
Max. size: 
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  South America: São Francisco River basin in Brazil.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  A true parasite living in the gill chambers of larger fishes, including catfishes like Sorubim lima. It uses its strong teeth to bite into the gill filaments to suck the blood (Ref. 6868).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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