Loricariidae

Spatuloricaria tuira

Spatuloricaria tuira

Forty Six Centimeters Catfish of the Brazilian Coast

• Tropical
• Southern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• South America
• Medium
• Tropical fish

Spatuloricaria tuira, commonly known as Tuira's whiptail or the marbled Xingu whiptail, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfishes, and the subfamily Loricariinae, the mailed catfishes. This catfish occurs in the basins of the Xingu River and the Tapajós in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Pará. It is typically seen at the bottom of medium to large rivers with fast water flow and substrates composed of rocks or sand.