Genera of Catfishes

Families

Family
Subfamily

with genus

Genus
 
Length (total)
Body
height
dorsal
fin
soft
rays
Adi
pose
 
Acanthicus
Spix / Agassiz, 1829
Elfenwelse
Acanthicus
120
flat
8 ( - 9)
no
flat head, heavy growth with odontodes
Ancistomus
Isbrücker & Seidel, 2001
Trugschilderwelse
Peckoltia (snethlageae-Gruppe)
Ancistomus
25
normal
7
yes
elongated than Peckoltia
Ancistrini
Kner, 1853

Ancistrini
35
 
 
not
all
Ancistrus
Kner, 1854
Antennenwelse
Ancistrus
30
flat
(6 - ) 7 ( - 10)
yes
Tentacles on the head
Andeancistrus
Lujan, Meza-Vargas & Barriga-Salazar, 2015

Andeancistrus
18
normal
7
yes
Aphanotorulus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1983
Leopardschilderwelse
 (frankei-Gruppe)
Aphanotorulus
65
flat
7
yes
Leopard pattern, lobes of the caudal fin approximately the same length
Araichthys
Zawadzki, Bifi & Mariotto, 2016

Araichthys
11
 
7
no
Avalithoxus
Lujan, Armbruster & Lovejoy, 2018

Avalithoxus
6
very flat
 
yes
Mouth: jagged edge striking circular
Baryancistrus
Rapp Py-Daniel, 1989
Prachtharnischwelse
Baryancistrus
40
height
7
yes
Dorsal fin and adipose fin are connected to a diaphragm
Chaetostoma
Heckel in Tschudi, 1845
Gebirgsharnischwelse
Chaetostoma
30
very flat
(5 - ) 7 - 10
not
all
"rubber mouth"
Cochliodon
Heckel in Kner, 1854

Hypostomus (cochliodon-Gruppe)
Cochliodon
50
very height
7
not
all
few spoon-shaped teeth, jaws v-shaped
Cordylancistrus
Isbrücker, 1980
Breitkopf-Gebirgsharnischwelse
Cordylancistrus
18
very flat
8 ( - 9)
yes
haunch-shaped head
Corymbophanes
Eigenmann, 1909

Corymbophanes
13
very flat
7
no
Cryptancistrus
Fisch-Muller, Mol & Covain, 2018

Cryptancistrus
8
 
 
 
Dekeyseria
Rapp Py-Daniel, 1985
Rotdornharnischwels
Dekeyseria
25
very flat
7
yes
afterbody strongly keeled
Dolichancistrus
Isbrücker, 1980
Langstachel-Gebirgsharnischwelse
Dolichancistrus
18
very flat
(7 - ) 8 - 9 ( - 11)
yes
"rubber mouth", many small bristles along the snout
Etsaputu
Lujan, Armbruster & Rengifo, 2011

Etsaputu
12
normal
7
yes
Exastilithoxus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1979
Fransenmaul-Stromschnellen-Harnischwels
Exastilithoxus
8
very flat
6 - 7
yes
jagged mouth with many lip barbels!
Glyptoperichthys
Weber, 1991
Segelschilderwelse
Pterygoplichthys
Glyptoperichthys
60
height
(11 - ) 12 - 14
yes
bumps on the supraoccipital plate
Guyanancistrus
Isbrücker, 2001

Pseudancistrus (brevispinis-Gruppe)
Guyanancistrus
21
very flat
7
yes
relatively large, very small maxillary barbels
Hemiancistrus
Bleeker, 1862
Großaugen-Harnischwelse
Hemiancistrus
50
normal
7
yes
Collection of genera
Hopliancistrus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1989
Dreihornharnischwelse
Hopliancistrus
22
very flat
 
yes
three extremely strong odontodes behind the gill cover
Hypancistrus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1991

Hypancistrus
35
normal
7 ( - 8)
yes
relatively small mouth, greatly reduced dentition
Hypostomus
Lacépède, 1803
Schilderwelse
Hypostomus
60
height
7 ( - 11)
yes
no odontodes of interoperculum, usually colored inconspicuous
Isorineloricaria
Isbrücker, 1980
Igel-Harnischwelse
 (spinossissimus-group)
Isorineloricaria
85
flat
 
yes
extremely long by greatly elongated, thin, round caudal peduncle
Lasiancistrus
Regan, 1904
Deltaschwanzwelse
Lasiancistrus
25
very flat
7 - 8
yes
thick and thin odontodes on the operculum
Leporacanthicus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1989
Rüsselzahnwelse
Leporacanthicus
30
normal
8
yes
"Buck teeth", upper lip has barbels!
Leptoancistrus
Meek & Hildebrand, 1916
Hochgebirgs-Harnischwelse
Leptoancistrus
10
very flat
8
no
no anal fin
Lipopterichthys
Norman, 1935

Lipopterichthys
10
 
 
 
only 12 soft rays in caudal fin
Liposarcus
Günther, 1864
Segelschilderwelse
Pterygoplichthys (multiradiatus-Gruppe)
Liposarcus
60
height
(11 - ) 12 - 14
yes
no bumps on the supraoccipital plate
Lithoxancistrus
Isbrücker, Nijssen & Cala, 1988
Flachkopfharnischwelse
Pseudancistrus (orinoco-Gruppe)
Lithoxancistrus
20
very flat
7
yes
Lithoxus
Eigenmann, 1910

Lithoxus
9
very flat
 
not
all
Mouth: jagged edge striking circular
Loraxichthys
Salcedo, 2013

Loraxichthys
7
flat
 
no
Megalancistrus
Isbrücker, 1980
Riesenkaktuswelse
Megalancistrus
80
height
(9 - ) 10 ( - 11)
yes
massive
Micracanthicus
Lujan & Armbruster, 2011

Micracanthicus
8
flat
 
 
Neblinichthys
Ferraris, Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1889
Neblina-Harnischwelse
Neblinichthys
10
very flat
(6 - ) 7 ( - 8)
yes
males have on the head are long, forward looking odontodes
Oligancistrus
Rapp Py-Daniel, 1989
Segelflossenharnischwels
Spectracanthicus
Oligancistrus
20
normal
7
yes
Panaqolus
Isbrücker & Schraml, 2001
Zwergschilderwelse, Tigerharnischwelse
Panaque (dentex-Gruppe)
Panaqolus
20
normal
7 ( - 8)
yes
jaw mostly strong v-shaped
Panaque
Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889

Panaque
70
very height
7
yes
jaw mostly strong v-shaped
Paralithoxus
Boeseman, 1982

Paralithoxus
8
very flat
 
yes
Mouth: jagged edge striking circular
Parancistrus
Bleeker, 1862
Breitkopfharnischwelse
Parancistrus
25
very flat
7
yes
first ray of the dorsal severely bent, huge gill opening
Paulasquama
Armbruster & Taphorn, 2011

Paulasquama
7
very flat
7
yes
Peckoltia
Miranda-Ribeiro, 1912
Zwergschilderwels
Peckoltia
50
normal
7 ( - 8)
yes
Peckoltichthys
Miranda-Ribeiro, 1917
Flachstirnharnischwelse
Peckoltia (ucayalensis-Gruppe)
Peckoltichthys
15
height
7
yes
elongated, flat forehead
Pseudacanthicus
Bleeker, 1882
Kaktuswelse
Pseudacanthicus
100
height
8 - 9
yes
strongly keeled, thorn-like odontodes
Pseudancistrus
Bleeker, 1862
Borstenkranz-Harnischwelse
Pseudancistrus
25
flat
7 ( - 11)
yes
long beard from odontodes
Pseudolithoxus
Isbrücker / Werner, 2001
Fliegerharnischwelse
Lasiancistrus (anthrax-Gruppe)
Pseudolithoxus
20
very flat
7 ( - 8)
yes
very long pectoral fins
Pseudoqolus
Lujan, Cramer, Covain, Fisch-Muller & López-Fernández, 2017

Pseudoqolus
20
normal
7
yes
Pterygoplichthys
Gill, 1858
Segelschilderwelse
Pterygoplichthys
40
height
10 - 11 ( - 12)
yes
no bumps on the supraoccipital plate
Scobinancistrus
Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1989
Pfauenharnischwelse
Scobinancistrus
40
flat
7
yes
very few long teeth, elongated
Soromonichthys
Lujan & Armbruster, 2011

Soromonichthys
4
flat
7
yes
Spectracanthicus
Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1987
Falsche Rüsselzahnwelse
Spectracanthicus
15
flat
7
yes
"Buck teeth", upper lip has no barbels! very pointed head
Squaliforma
Isbrücker & Michels, 2001
Haischilderwelse
Aphanotorulus (emarginatus-Gruppe)
Squaliforma
65
flat
7
yes
Leopard pattern, lower lobe of the caudal fin is longer
Transancistrus
Lujan, Meza-Vargas & Barriga-Salazar, 2015

Transancistrus
10
very flat
7
 
Yaluwak
Lujan & Armbruster, 2019

Yaluwak
15
 
 
no
Zonancistrus
Isbrücker, 2001
Schmetterlingsharnischwelse
Dekeyseria (brachyura-Gruppe)
Zonancistrus
18
very flat
7
yes
conspicuous bands, caudal peduncle strongly keeled, long, pointed head
56 entries found
Many thanks to
for the pictures
Ingo Seidel
3, 5, 13, 22
4, 6, 28, 44, 47
J. J. von Tschudi
8
H. P. Risch
9
Steindachner, Franz (1917) (PD)
15
Bubu Schmidt
17
Eduardo Baena (CC BY-NC 3.0)
19
Shastri Ballyram
21
Brenda Irwin
24
27, 34, 36, 45
Sandra Udrizar
29
Augusto Bentinho
42
Ilka Baumann
43
Kner (1857) (PD)
46
Please help with your pictures and information to complete the database: database(at)welsfans.de
https://www.suedamerikafans.de/en/wels-datenbank/wels-gattungen/?unterfamilie_name=Hypostominae