Hypostomus watwata Hancock, 1828
Armored catfish
photo by Galvis, G./Mojica, J.I./Camargo, M.

Family:  Loricariidae (Armored catfishes), subfamily: Hypostominae
Max. size:  45 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater; brackish; marine
Distribution:  South America: Guianan coastal drainages from the Oyapock River to the Demerara River (Ref. 36817). Introduced to Hawaii (Ref. 58302).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  A permanent resident of esturial and littoral area (Ref. 90186); in coastal areas and brackish waters of the lower reaches of rivers. Can be caught along the banks with muddy bottom occupied by plants like Laguncularia racemosa, Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle Ref. 35381). Benthic (Ref. 58302). As part of its reproductive behavior, excavates and creates burrows for egg laying (Ref. 82067).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 November 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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