Ancistrus patronus

I received this species as young larvae (3-4 weeks old) under the name A. sp. ‘Rio Paruzito’ from Ernst Schmidt (Neuendettelsau) in December 2015. Since then they have grown up well and most of them measure around 10 cm after about 3 years. In November 2018, I was able to find a first clutch of eggs, from which some young larvae hatched.

In February 2019, the species was then scientifically described as Ancistrus patronus: de Souza, L. S., Taphorn, D. C., Armbruster, J. W., 2019. Review of Ancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the northwestern Guiana Shield, Orinoco Andes, and adjacent basins with description of six new species. Zootaxa 4552, 1-68.

The parents were caught in the Rio Paruzito (official spelling probably Parucito), a small tributary of the Rio Manapiare/Ventuari system near the village of San Juan de Manapiare in the Venezuelan state of Amazonas (administrative centre for the Municipio Manapiare), which finally flows into the Orinoco.

The animals are very similar in type to Ancistrus sp. ‘Puerto Ayacucho’, from which they are also not far away locally (just under 150 km as the crow flies). As the river systems unite at the confluence of the Ventuari and Orinoco, a close relationship cannot be ruled out.

Ancistrus sp. “Puerto Ayacucho”, Photo by Ingo Seidel