Genus · Plecos

Dasyloricaria

Dasyloricaria is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Plecos section, recorded from Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Adult sizes run from 8 in to 14 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
8–14 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3
Recorded from
3 countries

About the genus

Dasyloricaria is a genus of whiptail catfish in the pleco family Loricariidae, subfamily Loricariinae, found in flowing rivers and streams of Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. The atlas's 3 species (D. filamentosa, D. latiura, D. paucisquama) are among the larger whiptails, reaching 8–14 in, and share the subfamily's elongated, dorsoventrally flattened, bony-plated body with a ventral sucker-mouth for grazing algae and biofilm from rocks and wood in current. As the common name of D. filamentosa and the genus name itself suggest, males of at least some species develop long filamentous extensions to the caudal fin, a trait shared with several other loricariine genera.

Dasyloricaria is seen only occasionally in the aquarium trade, generally through specialist pleco importers rather than general fish outlets, and requires strong current and a large footprint given its size at maturity. Conservation status is mixed across the genus: one species is Least Concern, one Near Threatened, and one has not yet been formally assessed, reflecting how unevenly surveyed these rheophilic whiptail catfish are across their range.

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened · 1 Least Concern · 1 Not Evaluated · 1

The 3 species

Every Dasyloricaria recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Steindachner, 1878)

Whiptail Catfish, Alcalde, Cuchara

12.5 in SL · LC

(Eigenmann & Vance, 1912)

14 in SL · NT

Londoño-Burbano & Reis, 2016

8 in SL · NE

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Dasyloricaria. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/dasyloricaria/

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