Plecos · Hypoptopomatinae

Corumbataia lucianoi

Silva, Roxo, Souza & Oliveira, 2018

IUCNENDANGERED · 2020
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size1 in2.4 cm standard length
Depthnot recorded
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

A diminutive dwarf suckermouth catfish of barely 1 in, Corumbataia lucianoi is known only from the upper Rio Paraná basin in Brazil, where it favours larger, fast-flowing rivers fringed by vegetation. Described in 2018 and assessed as Endangered, it is one of the more imperilled members of the armoured catfish family.

What's in the name

Corumbataia lucianoikoh-rum-bah-TY-ah loo-see-AH-noy

Corumbataia
  • Corumbataí do SulBrazilian toponymnamed for the Brazilian locality from which the genus was first known
lucianoi
  • Luciano de Souza da Costa e Silvaeponymhonours the brother of describer G. S. C. Silva

Taxonomy & naming

Corumbataia lucianoi was described by Silva, Roxo, Souza and Oliveira in 2018, in a Neotropical Ichthyology paper presenting two new species of the genus from the Rio Corrente of the upper Rio Paraná basin — C. lucianoi together with C. liliai. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) is the authority for the valid name and recognises the combination Corumbataia lucianoi with the authorship Silva, Roxo, Souza & Oliveira, 2018.

The genus Corumbataia sits within the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae, the dwarf suckermouth catfishes — a group of small, slender, armoured loricariids. Corumbataia is a compact genus endemic to Brazilian river systems, with several narrowly distributed species.

Morphology

Corumbataia lucianoi is a miniature loricariid, reaching a maximum of about 1 in standard length. It has the slender, plated body and ventral suckermouth typical of the subfamily. The characters separating it from its close relative C. liliai and other congeners — plate and fin-ray counts and colour-pattern details — are detailed in the original description. No information on sexual dimorphism in this species has been published.

Habitat

The species is known from the upper Rio Paraná basin in Brazil. Unlike its small-stream relative C. liliai, C. lucianoi is reported from large, fast-flowing rivers, where it is associated with marginal vegetation along the banks. It is a freshwater, demersal, tropical fish. Detailed water-chemistry and depth data for the species have not been published here beyond this general characterisation of its riverine habitat.

Feeding

No dedicated dietary study of Corumbataia lucianoi has been published. As with other hypoptopomatines, it is presumed to graze periphyton — the algal and microbial biofilm coating submerged surfaces and marginal vegetation — but no species-specific gut-content or field-feeding data are available to cite.

Mating

No data has been published on courtship or mating behaviour in Corumbataia lucianoi.

Breeding

No data has been published on the reproduction of Corumbataia lucianoi. There is no record of the species having been bred in captivity, and no information on spawning mode, clutch size, or parental care is available.

In the aquarium

Corumbataia lucianoi is not a species kept in the aquarium hobby. It has no husbandry literature and no captive-breeding record, so no aquarium parameters or care guidance can be stated here without fabrication. Given its restricted range and Endangered status, it is more appropriately a subject for conservation and field research than for the trade.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List assessed Corumbataia lucianoi as Endangered (EN) in 2020, indicating a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The listing reflects a restricted distribution within the upper Rio Paraná basin, a region heavily affected by agricultural expansion, deforestation of riparian zones, water abstraction, damming, and pollution. Because the species depends on marginal river vegetation, degradation of bankside habitat is a particular threat. Protection of remaining river-margin habitat and surveys to clarify the species' range and population status are the immediate conservation priorities.

Sources

  1. Silva, G.S.C., Roxo, F.F., Souza, C.S. & Oliveira, C. (2018) — Two new species of Corumbataia from Rio Corrente, upper Rio Paraná basin, Neotropical Ichthyology (original description)
  2. FishBase — Corumbataia lucianoi species summary
  3. IUCN Red List — Corumbataia lucianoi (Endangered, 2020)

Last reviewed 2026-06-15.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Corumbataia lucianoi. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/plecos/corumbataia-lucianoi/

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