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River

Cuyuni

7 profiles across 6 families name the Cuyuni as a locality.

Species
7
Families
6
Photographed
7 of 7
Difficulty rated
7 of 7
Subadult specimen from the Río Itaya, Peru.

Ageneiosus ucayalensisDuck Catfish

Auchenipteridae · Castelnau, 1855

Max length
290mm SL11in SL
Tank
180 × 60cm72 × 24in
Temp
22.5–28°C73–82°F
pH
5.5–7.5

Apparently this species is polymorphic with body patterning varying significantly depending on locality. Individuals collected from black water habitats tend to be noticeably darker in overall colouration, for example, with this being particularly evident among populations from the Guiana Shield. The genus Ageneiosus was at one point classified in...

Moderate
Young adult individual from the Danish aquarium trade.

Anostomus anostomusStriped Headstander

Anostomidae · Linnaeus, 1758

Max length
200mm SL8in SL
Tank
120 × 30cm48 × 12in
Temp
20–28°C68–82°F
pH
5.5–7.5

A biotope-style set-up could consist of a sandy substrate, piles of smooth rocks and driftwood roots and branches, some of which should penetrate the water surface. Aquatic vegetation can be included if you wish but is likely to be eaten.

Easy
Specimen from the German aquarium trade.

Colomesus asellusAmazon Puffer

Tetraodontidae · Müller & Troschel, 1849

Max length
128mm SL5in SL
Tank
120 × 30cm48 × 12in
Temp
20–26°C68–79°F
pH
5.5–8.0

This species is also referred to as 'South American puffer', 'SAP', 'Amazonian puffer', 'Peruvian puffer', or 'Brazilian puffer' in the ornamental trade. Within the genus Colomesus, C. asellus can be immediately identified by possessing a unique transverse row of dermal flaps across the chin which is absent in its congeners C. psittacus and C. tocantinensis.

Moderate
Adult pair of G. cf. brachybranchus from Guyana. These match the description closely but appear to possess faint flank bars which this species should not have.

Geophagus brachybranchus

Cichlidae · Kullander & Nijssen, 1989

Max length
200mm SL8in SL
Tank
180 × 60cm72 × 24in
Temp
26–30°C79–86°F
pH
5.0–7.0

This species is generally rare in the aquarium hobby though oddly appears to be one of the commoner species in Australia where it's often referred to by the vernacular name 'black-throated eartheater'. It's a member of the nominal G. surinamensis 'group' of closely-related species within the genus and can be identified by a combination of characters including: presence of dark preopercular markings; no vertical bars on the flanks even when stressed/preserved; base of filaments on the first gill arch mostly covered by a flap of skin; exposed part of bra...

Moderate
Adult individual from the German aquarium trade.

Satanoperca leucostictaWhitespot Eartheater

Cichlidae · Müller & Troschel, 1849

Max length
150mm SL6in SL
Tank
180 × 60cm72 × 24in
Temp
20–28°C68–82°F
pH
5.5–7.5

S. leucosticta is frequently available in the ornamental trade and farmed for the purpose in several countries. It is often confused with its congener S. jurupari in aquarium literature and on websites, but is easily recognised by presence (vs. absence) of prominent white spots or vermiform markings on the sides of the head. Although the presence of white spots on the head does not distinguish it from all known Satanoperca populations (see below), it can...

Moderate
Young adult specimen in the aquarium.

Boulengerella cuvieri

Ctenoluciidae · Spix & Agassiz, 1829

Max length
800mm SL31in SL
Tank
not recorded
Temp
22–28°C72–82°F
pH
5.0–7.5

It's known by various vernacular names including 'Pirá-pacu', 'Pira-pucu' or 'Diente de cao' (central Amazon), 'Bicuda' or 'Uena' (rio Tocantins), 'Bicuda' (rio Tapajós), 'Aguejeta' or 'Picua' (Venezuela), and 'Moruwi' or 'Pirapoko' (Guyana). The entire dorsal-fin base is located anteriorly to a vertical through the anal-fin origin and this character distinguishes it from all other ctenolucids except B. lucius and B. xyrekes.

Moderate
1 field missing
Specimen from the Barama River, Guyana.

Corydoras bondiBlackstripe Cory

Callichthyidae · Gosline, 1940

Max length
50mm SL2.0in SL
Tank
not recorded
Temp
20–26°C68–79°F
pH
6.0–7.5

Type locality is 'Río Yuruari, 3 kilometers east of El Callao, 7°18'N, 61°50'W, Bolivar, Venezuela', and this species is also known from the Rupununi River drianage in Guyana and the Courantyne/Corantijn system in Suriname. The Yuruari, an affluent of the Río Cuyuni, an...

Beginner
1 field missing