Ancistrus ranunculus is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the basins of the Xingu River, Trombetas River and the Tocantins River in Brazil. It inhabits areas with clear water and without strong currents, and it is known to inhabit narrow cracks in submerged rocks, small passages, and spaces below flat rocks. The species is large for a member of Ancistrus, reaching 19.5 cm (7.7 in) in total length.[2] It sometimes appears in the aquarium trade, where it is one of several species known as a medusa pleco, although it may be referred to by its L-number, L034.[3]
| Ancistrus ranunculus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Genus: | Ancistrus |
| Species: | A. ranunculus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrus ranunculus Muller, Rapp Py-Daniel & Zuanon, 1994
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Etymology
editThe specific name does not relate to buttercups of the Ranunculus species, instead it is the diminutive of rana, frog, alluding to name Tadpole Ancistrus sometimes given in the aquarium trade, referring to its body shape.[4]
References
edit- ^ Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2022). "Ancistrus ranunculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (in Portuguese). 2022: e.T134660726A134660731. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T134660726A134660731.pt. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2021). "Ancistrus ranunculus". FishBase.
- ^ "PlanetCatfish: Cat-eLog: Hypostominae: Acanthicus ranunculus". Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Order SILURIFORMES: Family LORICARIIDAE: Subfamilies HYPOSTOMINAE, RHINELEPINAE and DELTURINAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. v. 40.0. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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