Stegophilus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.

Stegophilus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Trichomycteridae
Subfamily: Stegophilinae
Genus: Stegophilus
Reinhardt, 1859
Type species
Stegophilus insidiosus
Reinhardt, 1859

Species

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There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[1]

S. insidiosus originates from the São Francisco River basin in Brazil, S. panzeri is from the lower Amazon River basin in Brazil, and S. septentrionalis is from Orinoco River basin in Venezuela.[2] Stegophilus species grow to between 4.1–4.4 centimetres (1.6–1.7 in) SL.[3][4] S. insidiosus is 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.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Stegophilus". FishBase. February 2012 version.
  2. ^ Ferraris, Carl J. Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1418: 1–628. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1418.1.1.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Stegophilus panzeri". FishBase. July 2007 version.
  4. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Stegophilus septentrionalis". FishBase. July 2007 version.
  5. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Stegophilus insidiosus". FishBase. July 2007 version.