#panaque

[feelingautistic]

While researching xylophagy in animals for my previous post, I discovered this genus of catfish Panaque, some of the only xylophagous vertebrates. Their jaws are adapted to consuming wood, having spoon-shaped teeth and highly angled jaws to chisel and scrape chunks off wood. Scientists have also discovered symbiotic gut bacteria that can aid in digesting wood.

However, it is debated whether these catfish are truly xylophagous as they don't seem to gain much energy from wood or hold wood particles in their gut for very long. Instead, some believe these catfish consume wood to feed on detritus (dead organic matter) found living within or on the surface.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #779

Clown panaque!

It is one of the several species sold in the aquarium trade under the name "pleco", a peaceful fish that leaves other species alone. In the wild it feeds on driftwood in the rivers of Venezuela!

[anabantoid]

Belle, 10" watermelon panaque.

[hellopleco]

I always love a good Cochliodon discussion!

Today in Panaque... A really nice watermelon pleco, from an article that talks about Cochliodon. Not Panaque cochliodon, but Hypostomus cochliodon (and friends).

Yeah, L77, L137, L138. None of these are the picture above at the beginning of the article. The article is all over the place pleco wise. It eventually stabilizes into a H. cochliodon group discussion (and no, the above pic isn’t a Panaque “Bruno”, the fish doesn’t exist. Hypostomus “Bruno” does exist).

I did find this part interesting:

“A couple of years later the scientific community announced that this species was not actually a Panaque but a close relative that belonged to the Cochilodon grouping. This brought about a name change to Salt and Pepper Plec. which would then give way to Coffee and Cream Plec. Surely the L77 tag would have been easier to follow?”

Yeah, L77 is easier. The connections between Cochliodon and Panaque are always a good read. While the connection between Panaque/Panaqolus is obvious, the connection between Panaque/Cochliodon (Hypostomus) is a little more mysterious. Not Panaque enough but not really Hypostomus either.

Source

I’m just a pleco fan, not a pleco scientist. This is my inexperienced opinion.

[heevis-aquarium]

The “Panaque suttonorum” or “Panaque suttoni” in the Heevis shop. In the Netherlands, this fish is often called “blue-eyed pleco”. This beautiful fish species is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Their food includes driftwood and algae. Should be fed in the aquarium with, for example, vegetables, feed tablets and mussels.

[wishfishy]

Here is another pen study of a Loricoriid friend to brighten up your weekend.

[hellopleco]

Screencap: Panaque schaeferi here, one of the weirdest new species of 2010 according to National Geographic.

New Armored, Wood-Eating Catfish Found in Amazon

Proof: Picture A is a black and white version of the pic above in the screencap. Also some interesting pleco science to read here too.

Edit... if you count Panaqolus and Cochliodon/Hypostomus cochliodon group there’s way more than a dozen wood eating species! Panaque alone would probably be at least a dozen.

[hellopleco]

Gold line Panaque, L027 (source)

(Chompin on pumpkin. Not the best image quality.)