Pareiodon microps
| Pareiodon microps | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Trichomycteridae |
| Subfamily: | Stegophilinae |
| Genus: | Pareiodon |
| Species: | P. microps |
| Binomial name | |
| Pareiodon microps Kner, 1855 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Of Pareiodon
Of Pareiodon microps
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Pareiodon microps is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Pareiodon. It is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Amazon Basin.
Like its stegophiline relatives, they possess a sucking, disk-like mouth, along with inter- and opercular spines which facilitates adhesion to its food items, though this species is a scavenger, unlike its ectoparasitic relatives. During feeding events involving vertebrate carcasses, P. microps may be associated with other species of scavengers; the whale candirus, Cetopsis candiru and Ce. coecutiens, are not closely related to P. microps despite also being considered "candiru"; the vulture catfish Calophysus macropterus is a much larger scavenger that may also join the candirus at the carcass.