Three new loricariid catfishes in the genus Ancistrus have been formally described by scientists.
The new species of plec, which have been named Ancistrus tombador, A. reisi and A. jataiensis, were collected in the Rio Tapajos and Rio Tocatins systems.
In their paper in the journal Revue Suisse de Zoologie (Swiss Journal of Zoology), Fisch Muller, Cardoso, da Silva and Bertaco describe how the three new fish are unusual among other members of the Ancistrini due to the shared loss of the adipose fin.
The scientists say that in the three new species the adipose fin is reduced to a series of unpaired platelets which form a little crest where the adipose fin would usually be.
For the full scientific details on diagnosing each of the new species, see the paper: Fisch-Muller, S., Cardoso, A., da Silva, JFP., and DA Bertaco (2005) - Three new species of Ancistrus Kner (Teleostei: Loricariidae) from the upper Tapajos and Tocatins rivers. Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 112: 559-572.