''Peckoltia pankimpuju'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of armored

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes 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 alive, ...

from the family

Loricariidae The Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are not ...

, native to the

Marañón River , name_etymology = , image = Maranon.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas ( Leimebamba) and Celendín , map = Maranonrivermap.png , map_size ...

in the upper

Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It is commonly called the coal pleco, Peruvian lyre-tail, and L350 under the L-number code. It reaches up to about in length. This species, ''

Panaque bathyphilus ''Panaque bathyphilus'' is an Amazon basin, Amazonian species of armoured catfish from the family Loricariidae. The holotype of the species was collected in the Solimões River, upstream of its confluence with the Purus River. This species has be ...

'', ''

Panaqolus nix ''Panaqolus nix'' is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Madeira River and the Mamoré River in Brazil, as well as the Madre de Dios River drainage basin in Peru. It is reported t ...

'', ''

Loricaria spinulifera ''Loricaria spinulifera'' is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America, where it occurs in the Rio Negro basin in Brazil, including the Branco River and the Jauaperi River. It is typically seen in deep chann ...

'' and '' L. pumila'' are the only loricariid catfish species known to occur in a deep water form with reduced pigment and eyes (similar to

cavefish Cavefish or cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypog ...

), and another "normal" form in shallower waters. ''P. pankimpuju'' and a few other loricariid catfish species of the main stream of large South American rivers have greatly elongated streamers on their tail. It is speculated that this may serve as an early warning system against the large predatory catfish that also roam their habitat. Positioned with the head towards the water current, as typical of loricariid catfish, the long tail streamers of ''P. pankimpuju'' are the first to be contacted by a large predator that hunts against the current, perhaps allowing it to escape.

References

Ancistrini Freshwater fish of Peru Fish described in 2008 {{Loricariidae-stub