Feeding of Reportedly Parasitic Catfishes (Trichomycteridae and Cetopsidae) in the Rio Portuguesa Basin, Venezuela

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Abstract
The stomach contents of several Trichomycteridae and Cetopsidae were examined from wet-season collections in the Portuguesa River basin, Venezuela. Collections were from piedmont, high llanos, and low llanos habitats. Based on these and other published and unpublished observations the species were classified according to feeding habits. Among the trichomycterids, Trichomycterus kneri and T. meridae feed only on benthic insects, V andellia feeds only on blood of fishes and other vertebrates, and Stegophilinae (Stegophilus, Homodiaetus, and Ochmacanthus) are tentatively classified as scale eaters. The only cetopsid species taken contained terrestrial-winged insects. Cetopsids are also schooling piscivores, but none are confirmed to be parasites. Both cetopsids and trichomycterids bear the common name candiru or carnero, but their feeding habits do not indicate close phylogenetic relationship. Three parasitic species were found in the piedmont and four in the high llanos, but in the low llanos, where the greatest variety of fishes was found, only Ochmacanthus occurred.

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