# Acestridium

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***Acestridium*** is a genus of freshwater [ray-finned fishes](/source/Actinopterygii) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Loricariidae](/source/Loricariidae), the mailed catfishes, and the [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) [Hypoptopomatinae](/source/Hypoptopomatinae), the cascudinhos. The catfishes in this genus are found in South America.

## Taxonomy

*Acestridium* was first proposed as a [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus) in 1911 by the American [ichthyologist](/source/Ichthyologist) [John Diederich Haseman](/source/John_Diederich_Haseman) when he [described](/source/Species_description) *Acestridium discus*, meaning that *A. discus* is the [type species](/source/Type_species) of this genus by [monotypy](/source/Monotypy).[1] The genus is sometimes classified in the [tribe](/source/Tribe_(biology)) Hypoptopomatini.[2] A study in 2015 found that *Acestridium* was the [sister taxon](/source/Sister_taxon) to *[Niobichthys](/source/Niobichthys)* and that the clade formed by these two genera formed a sister taxon to the clade comprising *[Oxyropsis](/source/Oxyropsis)* and *[Hypoptopoma](/source/Hypoptopoma)*.[3] This subfamily is classified within the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae, sometimes called cascudinhos, of the suckermouth armoured catfish family Loricariidae, in the suborder [Loricarioidei](/source/Loricarioidei) of the catfish [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Siluriformes](/source/Siluriformes).[4]

## Etymology

*Acestridium* suffixes the Latin diminutive *-idium*, indicating similarity, onto the Greek *akestra*, which means "needle", this is assumed to be an allusion to the long spines at the tip of the snout of the type species, *A. discus*.[5]

## Species

*Acestridium* contains the following valid recognized species:[6]

## Distribution and habitat

*Acestridium* species are native to small streams of the [Amazon](/source/Amazon_Basin) region of [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela), and [Colombia](/source/Colombia).[7] Species of this genus are found in litter banks.[8]

## Characteristics

Members of this genus typically are long and thin, or 'twiglike' and superficially resemble the genus *[Farlowella](/source/Farlowella)* of the same family. Adult length is 5–7 cm and each species shows adaptation for camouflage in the water margins - bright green leaf like in *Acestridium dichromum*[9] and variegated brown in other species.[10]

## References

1. Gauger, Marco F. W. & Buckup, Paulo Andreas (2005). "Two new species of Hypoptopomatinae from the rio Paraíba do Sul basin, with comments on the monophyly of *Parotocinclus* and the Otothyrini (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)". *Neotropical Ichthyology*. **3** (4): 509–518. [doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000400008](https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-62252005000400008)

1. Rodriguez, M. S.; M. L. S. Delapieve; R. E. Reis (2012). "Phylogenetic relationships of the species of *Acestridium* Haseman, 1911 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)". *Neotropical Ichthyology*. **13** (2): 325-340. [doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20140129](https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-20140129). [hdl:10923/13458](https://hdl.handle.net/10923/13458)

1. [Richard van der Laan](/source/Richard_van_der_Laan) & [Ronald Fricke](/source/Ronald_Fricke) (eds.). ["Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification"](https://www.calacademy.org/scientists/catalog-of-fishes-classification). *Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 25 March 2026.

1. Christopher Scharpf (28 February 2026). ["Family LORICARIIDAE: Subfamily HYPOPTOPOMATINAE Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1890 (Cascudinhos)"](https://etyfish.org/hypoptopomatinae/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 26 March 2026.

1. Retzer, Michael E. (2005). ["Description of a new species of *Acestridium* (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Colombia"](http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2005f/zt00972.pdf). *[Zootaxa](/source/Zootaxa)*. **972**: 1–6. [doi:10.11646/zootaxa.972.1.1](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.972.1.1). Retrieved 2009-06-25.

1. M. F. Catarino, A. L. Val. ["Abundance and distribution of fish in litter banks of the Amazon"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706181527/http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2000/Papers/extremepdf/catarino.pdf). Archived from [the original](http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2000/Papers/extremepdf/catarino.pdf) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-06-25.

1. ["Loricariidae :: *Acestridium dichromum*"](http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/acestrid/765_F.PHP). *Planet Catfish*

1. ["Acestridium discus picture"](https://www.fishbase.se/photos/PicturesSummary.php?resultPage=1&ID=50557&what=species). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Acestridium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acestridium) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acestridium?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.