Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes) > Vandelliinae
Etymology: Paracanthopoma: Greek, para = the side of + Greek, akantha = thorn + Greek, poma, -atos = cover, operculum (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
South America: Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 138907)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 6; Vertebrae: 37. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: conspicuous median process on parietosupraoccipital; nine teeth on median premaxilla; s6 pore paired; opercular odontodes 6 or 7; interopercular odontodes 7; bilobed caudal-fin; maxillary barbel reaching 50% of eye length; absence of epibranchial 4; posterior process of parurohyal, reaching 10% of anterior ceratohyal length; absence of irregular dark spots on dorsum; opercular odontodes 6 or 7; vertebrae 36; dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays 12; and ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays 13 (Ref. 138907).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Henschel, E., J.N. Baskin and N.K. Lujan, 2026. Two new species of the vampire catfish genus Paracanthopoma (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae: Vandelliinae) from Brazil and Venezuela with comments on generic diagnostic characters. Zootaxa 5793(2):529-546. (Ref. 138907)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.3 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives |
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Low vulnerability (10 of 100). 🛈 |