Genus · Catfish

Lophiosilurus

Lophiosilurus is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Catfish section, recorded from Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. Adult sizes run from 3.5 in to 27.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
3.5–27.5 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3
Recorded from
3 countries

About the genus

Lophiosilurus is a genus of ambush-predator catfish in family Pseudopimelodidae, the bumblebee-catfish family known for big-headed, wide-mouthed, sluggish sit-and-wait hunters. The atlas records it from Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, and its three species - Lophiosilurus albomarginatus, L. apurensis (the Apure jelly catfish), and L. nigricauda - cover an unusually wide size range, from 3.5–27.5 in. Like other pseudopimelodids, Lophiosilurus can be expected to carry a broad, flattened head and a large gape relative to its body, along with cryptic, mottled coloration suited to lying motionless on the riverbed waiting for prey to come within striking range, though detailed published accounts of each individual atlas species are not readily available.

None of the three has an established place in the aquarium trade, and what is known about Lophiosilurus biology generally comes from South American ichthyological surveys rather than hobbyist experience. Conservation assessment is incomplete: one atlas species is rated Least Concern, while the other two have not yet been formally evaluated - typical for a genus of secretive, bottom-dwelling ambush predators that are rarely encountered even by researchers.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 1 Not Evaluated · 2

The 3 species

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

(Eigenmann, 1912)

3.5 in SL · NE

(Mees, 1978)

Apure jelly catfish

27.5 in TL · LC

(Mees, 1974)

19.5 in TL · NE

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Lophiosilurus. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/lophiosilurus/

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