parent_taxon pterygoplichthyini
Catfish ( or catfishes ; order ___MASK2___ or Nematognathi ) are a diverse group of ray - finned fish . Named for their prominent barbels , which resemble a cat ' s whiskers , catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species , the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia , the wels catfish of Eurasia and the Piraíba of South America , to detritivores ( species that eat dead material on the bottom ), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru , " Vandellia cirrhosa ". There are armour - plated types and there are also naked types , neither having scales . Despite their name , not all catfish have prominent barbel . Members of the ___MASK2___ order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder . Catfish are of considerable commercial importance ; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food . Many of the smaller species , particularly the genus " Corydoras ", are important in the aquarium hobby . Many catfish are nocturnal , but others ( many " Auchenipteridae ") are " crepuscular " or " diurnal " ( most " Loricariidae or " " Callichthyidae " for example ). ___MASK68___ plecostomus , the suckermouth catfish or common pleco , is a tropical fish belonging to the armored catfish family ( ___MASK49___ ), named for the armor - like longitudinal rows of scutes that cover the upper parts of the head and body ( the lower surface of head and abdomen is naked ). Although the name " ___MASK68___ plecostomus " is often used to refer to common plecostomus sold in aquarium shops , most are actually members of other genera . ___MASK96___ or commonly known as Janitor fish is a genus of South American armored catfishes . These fish are commonly known as sailfin armoured catfish or sailfin plecs . Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . As the world ' s fifth - largest country by both ___MASK9___ and population , it is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of . It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47 . 3 % of the continent ' s land ___MASK9___ . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . ___MASK49___ is the largest family of catfish ( order ___MASK2___ ), with 92 genera and just over 680 species to date , with new species being described each year . Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica , Panama , and tropical and subtropical South America . These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and their suckermouths . Several genera are sold as " plecos ", notably the suckermouth catfish , " Hypostomus plecostomus ", and are popular as aquarium fish . Pterygoplichthyini is a tribe of catfishes ( order ___MASK2___ ) of the family Loricariidae . It includes two genera , Pterygoplichthys and the currently undescribed genus referred to as the Hemiancistrus annectens group . This group was earlier misspelled as Pterygoplichthini . Pterygoplichthyines are known from nearly the entire range of loricariids except for the Guyanas and coastal streams in southeastern Brazil . Pterygoplichthyini is sister to the tribe Ancistrini , which shares the derived presence of an evertible patch of plates on the cheek . Pterygoplichthys and the H . annectens group differ most obviously in the number of dorsal fin rays ( 7 in the H . annectens group and 9 + in Pterygoplichthys ) . The two genera are supported as sisters by only one derived characteristic : a modified stomach that is attached to the abdominal wall by a net of connective tissue . This modified stomach allows these fish to breathe air . The stomach is vascularized . A white net of connective tissue surrounds the organ , leaving a circular area in the middle of the stomach free ; this connective tissue firmly holds the stomach to the body wall and is better developed in adults . It may also function as a hydrostatic organ , allowing the fish to remain buoyant midwater . ___MASK68___ is a genus of fish in the family ___MASK49___ . They are native to tropical and subtropical South America . " H . plecostomus " is the popular freshwater aquarium fish formerly known as " Plecostomus plecostomus ". There is a lot of confusion as to the precise taxonomic structure of the ___MASK49___ . Taxonomy and phylogeny . This genus is the type member of its tribe Hypostomini and subfamily ___MASK84___ . The type species of " ___MASK68___ " is " H . guacari ". Chile , officially the Republic of Chile , is a South American country occupying a long , narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west . It borders Peru to the north , Bolivia to the northeast , ___MASK32___ to the east , and the Drake Passage in the far south . Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández , Salas y Gómez , Desventuradas , and Easter Island in Oceania . Chile also claims about of Antarctica , although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty . Costa Rica ( literally meaning " Rich Coast "), officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America , bordered by Nicaragua to the north , Panama to the southeast , the Pacific Ocean to the west , the Caribbean Sea to the east , and Ecuador to the south of ___MASK3___ Island . It has a population of around 4 . 5 million , of whom nearly a quarter live in the metropolitan area of the capital and largest city , San José . Panama , officially called the Republic of Panama , is a country usually considered to be entirely in North America or Central America . It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west , Colombia ( in South America ) to the southeast , the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south . The capital and largest city is Panama City , whose metropolitan ___MASK9___ is home to nearly half of the country ' s 3 . 9 million people .