SILURIFORMES

Phillip, Dawn A. T., Taphorn, Donald C., Holm, Erling, Gilliam, James F., Lamphere, Bradley A. & López-Fernández, Hernán, 2013, Annotated list and key to the stream fishes of Trinidad & Tobago, Zootaxa 3711 (1), pp. 1-64 : 17-19

ORDER SILURIFORMES

FAMILY AUCHENIPTERIDAE

Pseudauchenipterus nodosus (Bloch 1794) [yellow catfish]

Estuaries (Teixeira Bonecker et al. 2007) and lower parts of streams, especially those with muddy substrate; fresh- and brackish-water adventitious visitor to mangrove areas at high tides in the wet season (Barletta et al. 2003). Native; collected from tidal portions of largest drainage basins, particularly in Trinidad (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998); presence on Trinidad apparently sporadic. Breeds in the wet season (Barletta et al. 2003), internal fertilisation (Loir et al. 1989), eggs scattered on various substrates. Omnivore/detritivore. 250 mm.

Trachelyopterus galeatus (Linnaeus 1766) [grouper catfish]

Once believed to be locally extinct (Kenny 1995), but recently collected in two drainages of the central west coast (Mohammed & Lalla, in press). Swamps, estuaries, and slow-moving streams with fresh or brackish water; tolerant of habitats with low dissolved oxygen. Native. Internal fertilisation (Downing Meisner et al. 2000, Costa Melo et al. 2011), eggs hidden but with no additional parental care (Bailly et al. 2008). Carnivore. 220 mm.

This species was formerly placed in Parauchenipterus Bleeker (1862) , but that genus is now considered a synonym of Trachelyopterus Valenciennes (1840) .

FAMILY HEPTAPTERIDAE

Rhamdia cf. quelen (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) [silver catfish, catfish, cacalaw, river catfish, barbe]

Clear to turbid, fast to still streams. Widely distributed in streams south of the Northern Range divide, often penetrating far upstream (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998). Native. Spawns year-round (Olaya-Nieto et al. 2010); eggs deposited on stream bed. Omnivore: carnivore (Orlandi Bonato et al. 2012), piscivore (Rondineli et al. 2011), herbivore (Ibañez et al. 2007). Nocturnal. 480 mm.

This species is similar to R. quelen , which was originally described from Peru. Perdices et al. (2002), using DNA evidence, have shown that the wholescale lumping of many “species” of Rhamdia quelen proposed by Silfvergrip (1996) was an unwarranted oversimplification. A troglomorphic form of the species had been misidentified as a separate species, Caecorhamdia urichi Norman (1926) , and is now considered a synonym of R. cf. quelen .

FAMILY ASPREDINIDAE

Aspredinichthys filamentosus (Valenciennes 1840) [seven-barbed banjo]

Demersal, found in the flooded lower portions of coastal streams and along the coast in freshwater, brackish and marine habitats; sandy to muddy-bottomed estuaries (Le Bail et al. 2000). Native. External fertilisation; female carries eggs attached to her ventral surface (Le Bail et al. 2000). 218 mm.

Aspredinichthys tibicen (Valenciennes 1840) [ten-barbed banjo]

Benthic species found mainly on soft-bottomed habitats in brackish water near stream mouths, but also found in fresh and marine waters. Native. External fertilisation; female carries eggs attached to her ventral surface (Le Bail et al. 2000). Carnivore/omnivore. 240 mm.

Aspredo aspredo (Linnaeus 1758) [banjo catfish]

Sandy- to muddy-bottomed reaches in brackish (Barletta & Barletta-Bergan 2009) to fresh water in coastal streams (Barros et al. 2011). Native. External fertilisation; female carries eggs attached to her ventral surface (Bruton 1996). Carnivore/omnivore. 410 mm.

Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch 1794 [banjo catfish]

Mainly brackish estuaries but also muddy lowland streams. Native. External fertilisation; female carries eggs attached to her ventral surface (Sands 1984). Carnivore/omnivore. 370 mm.

FAMILY CALLICHTHYIDAE

Callichthys callichthys (Linnaeus 1758) [flat-head cascadu, chatoo]

Lower stream reaches; free-flowing and stagnant reaches, which are often slightly turbid and anoxic; facultative air-breather (Carter & Beadle 1931); capable of moving over land (Alkins et al. 1981). Widespread in streams south of the Northern Range divide, Trinidad, penetrating far upstream (Kenny 1995). Native. Spawns in the wet season (Ponton & de Mérona 1998), males build a bubble nest at the water surface from mucous and vegetation (Mol 1995). Omnivore (Tedesco et al. 2007). 180 mm.

Corydoras aeneus (Gill 1858) [pui pui, souci, river goldfish, aeneus , small cascadura]

Stream riffles of moderate flow, and also slower pools, but with an apparent preference for running water (Kenny 1995); clear and turbid waters; facultative air-breather (Kramer & McClure 1980). Widely distributed south of the main divide of the Northern Range (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998). Native. Extended spawning coincident with high rainfall (Alkins-Koo 2000); females drink sperm, which is then passed through the gut, fertilising eggs as they are shed (Kodha et al. 1995), eggs deposited on nest prepared on leaves, but are not guarded (Bruton 1996). Detritivore/scavenger (Alkins-Koo 2000), omnivore, insectivore (Rondineli et al. 2011), benthophagous (Orlindi Bonato et al. 2012). 80 mm.

Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock 1828) [cascadu, cascadura]

Muddy habitats in the lower, larger reaches of streams, canals, drainage ditches, ponds and swamps (Kenny 1995); facultative air-breather (Carter & Beadle 1931, Brauner et al. 1995, Persaud et al. 2006). Widely distributed in streams south of the Northern Range divide (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998). Native. Breeding takes place at the beginning of the wet season (Oliveira 2000); females deposit eggs in a bubble nest built by the male from saliva and bits of vegetation at the water surface; male guards the nest (Ramnarine 1990). Omnivore. 230 mm.

Megalechis thoracata (Valenciennes 1840) [hoplo, cascadura, bush fish, spotted cascadura]

Slow lowland streams, ditches, and ponds; facultative air breather (Gee & Graham 1978); no specimens of this species have been collected since the 1860s; its presence on the island is doubtful. Native. Male builds bubble nest and guards eggs. Omnivore. 150 mm.

This is possibly a misidentified H. littorale ; its listing for Trinidad is based on a single stuffed specimen from around 1864, that was examined by Boeseman in the 1960s (see Kenny 1995).

FAMILY LORICARIIDAE

Hypostomus robinii Valenciennes 1840 [teta, mama teta, Anne Marie]

Various habitats from free-flowing, clear-water streams to very turbid, stagnant waters (Kenny 1995). Widely distributed south of the Northern Range divide (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998). Native. Male guards sticky egg mass deposited on various substrates. Herbivore/detritivore (Kenny 1995). 200 mm.

This species was misidentified as H. guacari (Regan 1906a) and H. plecostomus by various authors.

Ancistrus maracasae Fowler 1946 [jumbie teta, bearded teta]

Various habitats from free-flowing, clear-water streams to very turbid, stagnant waters (Kenny 1995). Distributed in streams south of the Northern Range divide (Kenny 1995, Phillip 1998). Native and endemic. Male guards sticky egg mass deposited on hard substrates. Herbivore/detritivore. 100mm.

All reports of other species of Ancistrus from Trinidad are in error, including a species referred to as Chaetostoma trinitatis Günther (1864) that was probably based on Ancistrus maracasae . Extensive sampling throughout Trinidad in appropriate habitat has failed to reveal the presence of Chaetostoma anywhere on the island today. It may have been present in 1864 and later became extinct, but no specimens are available to corroborate this hypothesis.