Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypoptopomatinae
Etymology: Otocinclus: Greek, ous, oto = ear + Latin, cinclus = latticework; in allusion to the holes of the head in the ears (Ref. 45335); tapirape: Named after the indigenous tribe Tapirapé (Ref. 46820).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
South America: upper and middle Araguaia River in Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 46820)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 6. Differs from its congeners, except O. vestitus, O. flexilis, and O. affinis by canal-bearing plates of trunk median plate series truncated, restricted to the anterior field (versus presence of canal-bearing plates on posterior field). Distinguished from O. vestitus by the presence of iris diverticulus, and by the absence of paired W-shaped marks on caudal fin. Differs from O. flexilis and O. affinis by having lateral ethmoid with large subnasal lamina (versus small subnasal lamina), 20-22 total lateral plates (versus 24 or more), a narrow nuchal plate (versus a wide nuchal plate), and plates of median series not arranged in tandem repeat patter (versus plates arranged in tandem repeat pattern) (Ref. 46820).
Facultative air-breathing in the genus (Ref. 126274); Inhabits well-oxygenated, slow to moderate flowing waters, often near river banks (Ref. 46820). Feeds on algae (Ref. 46820).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Britto, M.R. and C.R. Moreira, 2002. Otocinlus tapirape: a new Hypoptopomatinae catfish from central Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Copeia 2002(4):1063-1069. (Ref. 46820)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00851 (0.00374 - 0.01935), b=3.09 (2.90 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).