Acestridium


Acestridium is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Loricariidae of order Siluriformes. The type species is Acestridium discus. The genus name is derived from Greek ἀκέστρα akéstra meaning darning needle.
Acestridium species are native to small streams of the Amazon region of Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. Species of this genus are found in litter banks.
Members of this genus typically are long and thin, or 'twiglike' and superficially resemble the genus Farlowella of the same family. Adult length is and each species shows adaptation for camouflage in the water margins - bright green leaf like in Acestridium dichromum and variegated brown in other species.

Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:Acestridium colombiense Retzer, 2005Acestridium dichromum Retzer, Nico & Provenzano, 1999Acestridium discus Haseman, 1911Acestridium gymnogaster Reis & Lehmann A., 2009Acestridium martini Retzer, Nico & Provenzano, 1999Acestridium scutatum Reis & Lehmann A., 2009Acestridium triplax Rodriguez & Reis, 2007