Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 7, 2026

Ichthyoelephas

Ichthyoelephas is a genus of South American freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Prochilodontidae, the bocachicos or flannel-mouthed characiformes.

Last revised
Jul 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
324 w
Citations
13
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Ichthyoelephas
Ichthyoelephas longirostris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Prochilodontidae
Genus: Ichthyoelephas
Posada, 19091
Type species
Ichthyoelephas patalo, (a synonym of Ichthyoelephas longirostris)
Posada, 190912

Ichthyoelephas is a genus of South American freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Prochilodontidae, the bocachicos or flannel-mouthed characiformes.3

There are two species in the genus: I. humeralis reaches a length of at least 40 cm (1.3 ft) and is found in the Santiago, Chimbo, and Guayas river basins in Ecuador,45 and I. longirostris reaches a length of 80 cm (2.6 ft) and is found in the Cauca–Magdalena river basin in Colombia,6 and additionally reported from the Rio Ranchería.5

They feed on algae and detritus (aufwuchs) that are taken off rocks with their fleshy lips.78 They are commercially important food fish.78

Species

There are two species:9

References

References

  1. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Prochilodontidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  2. Bailly N (ed.). "Ichthyoelephas patalo Posada, 1909". FishBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Ichthyoelephas". FishBase. October 2017 version.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ichthyoelephas humeralis". FishBase. October 2017 version.
  5. Castro, Ricardo M. C.; Vari, Richard P. (2004). Detritivores of the South American fish family Prochilodontidae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Characiformes) : a phylogenetic and revisionary study. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books.
  6. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ichthyoelephas longirostris". FishBase. October 2017 version.
  7. Jimenez-Segura, L.; Alonso, J. C. & Mojica, J. (2016). "Ichthyoelephas longirostris". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. IUCN: e.T49830164A61473798. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T49830164A61473798.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. Laaz, E.; W. Aguirre (19 August 2017). "Prochilodontidae - Ichthyoelephas humeralis". The Freshwater Fishes of Western Ecuador. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  9. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ichthyoelephas". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 3 August 2025.