Ancistrus galani facts for kids

Ancistrus galani is a special kind of catfish. It belongs to a family of fish called Loricariidae, which are often known as "armored catfish" because they have bony plates on their bodies. This unique fish lives only in one specific cave in Venezuela, a country in South America.

Meet the Ancistrus galani

Ancistrus galani is a small fish. It can grow to about 5.6 centimeters (2.2 inches) long. This fish was named after Carlos Galan. He was a Venezuelan speleologist, which means he was a scientist who studied caves.

Its Secret Home

This amazing fish makes its home deep inside Los Laureles Cave. This cave is located in the Socuy River basin. This river system is part of the larger Lake Maracaibo area. You can find this cave in the state of Zulia in Venezuela. The cave is quite high up, about 650 meters (2,133 feet) above sea level.

Special Features for Cave Life

Ancistrus galani looks different from most other Ancistrus species. This is because it lives in a dark cave. Its body has no color, so it looks pale. Its eyes are very small or even completely missing. The parts of its head where the eyes would normally be are also much smaller.

These special features help it live in its dark home. Since there is no light in the cave, eyes are not very useful. This type of animal is called stygobitic. This means it lives its whole life in underground water systems. Other cave-dwelling fish, like A. cryptophthalmus or A. formoso, have similar features.

See also

In Spanish: Ancistrus galani para niños