Hypostomus plecostomus
(Linnaeus 1758)
Family Loricariidae

Lateral view of a suckermouth catfish
The suckermouth catfish pictured above was collected in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 237988. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The suckermouth catfish is a member of the suckermouth armored catfish family. It has a strongly arched body and a very large dorsal fin with one spine and seven branched rays. This species has a large, suctorial mouth and is found in canals, creeks and lakes.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Non-indigenous freshwater
  • Florida Distribution — Peninsula drainages
  • River Drainages — Tampa Bay and the Everglades
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