Genus · Catfish

Imparfinis

Imparfinis is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Catfish section, recorded from Brazil. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
IUCN assessed
3 of 3
Recorded from
Brazil

About the genus

Imparfinis is a genus of small, elongate catfishes in family Heptapteridae, the three-barbeled catfishes of Siluriformes found across Middle and South America. The atlas's three species - Imparfinis melanopterus, I. nigropunctatus, and I. tessellatus - are all recorded from Brazil. Size and life-history data for these species are sparse in the available literature, but like other heptapterids they are slender, scaleless, nocturnal fish with three pairs of barbels framing the mouth, typically sheltering by day under rocks, root tangles, and leaf litter in small forest streams and emerging after dark to forage.

None of the three has an established presence in the aquarium trade; heptapterid catfishes this size are generally peaceful, adaptable stream fish, but Imparfinis is not a genus hobbyists are likely to encounter, and it has not been assessed for aquarium suitability. All three atlas species are listed as Not Evaluated by IUCN, typical for small, geographically narrow stream catfishes that have received limited conservation survey attention - their place in the atlas reflects taxonomic and biodiversity records rather than established husbandry knowledge.

IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated · 3

The 3 species

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

Silva, Lopes, Carvalho, Oliveira & Sarmento-Soares, 2026

NE

Silva, Lopes, Carvalho, Oliveira & Sarmento-Soares, 2026

NE

Silva, Lopes, Carvalho, Oliveira & Sarmento-Soares, 2026

NE

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Imparfinis. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/imparfinis/

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