Trichomycterus punctulatus

Trichomycterus punctulatus is a species of fish of the family Trichomycteridae, native to freshwater habitats in western Peru.[1] This elongated catfish can reach a length of 19.5 cm (7.7 in).[2]

Trichomycterus punctulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Trichomycteridae
Genus: Trichomycterus
Species:
T. punctulatus
Binomial name
Trichomycterus punctulatus
Valenciennes, 1846

Range, habitat and behavior

This nocturnal freshwater fish is endemic to western Peru, ranging at least from Lambayeque and Cajamarca[3] to Tacna.[4] It mostly lives in rivers and streams, but can also be found in habitats such as small lakes and paddy fields.[3] It is an opportunistic predator that mainly feeds on insects,[5] but also will take small crustaceans and plant material (algae and remains of phanerogams).[2]

Importance to humans

It is fished and plays an important role in the local cuisine in northern Peru, where this species is known as life, pronounced "lee-fey", or life monsefuano (dishes: panquitas de life or sudado de life).[3][6] Although it can be difficult to ascertain the exact species depicted in the artwork of the ancient Moche culture,[7] it was likely T. punctulatus that was important in their mythology where perhaps recognized as a connection between light and darkness.[2][3] In excavations of Huaca de la Luna, more than one-quarter of all fish bones were this species, revealing that it already played an important role as a food to the Moche.[6]

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References
  1. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Trichomycterus punctulatus" in FishBase. April 2017 version.
  2. Gálvez Mora, C.A.; and M. Andrea Runcio (2009). "El life (Trichomycterus sp.) y su importancia en la iconografía Mochica". Archaeobios. 3 (1): 55–87.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Fondazioneslowfood: Life monsefuano. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  4. Dyer, B.S. (2000). "Systematic review and biogeography of the freshwater fishes of Chile". Estud. Oceanol. 19: 77–98.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  5. Vera Arabe; Oyague Passuni; Castañeda Córdova; and Quinteros Carlos (2013). "Hábitos alimentarios del bagre "life" Trichomycterus punctulatus (Valenciennes, 1846) (Actinopterygii, Siluriformes) en el río Pisco, Perú". Ecología Aplicada. 12 (2): 121–131.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  6. Bradley, Robert, The Life Catfish in Moche Art and Culture (PDF)
  7. Bourget, S. (2016). Sacrifice, Violence, and Ideology Among the Moche: The Rise of Social Complexity in Ancient Peru. ISBN 978-1477308738.


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