Scleronema is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America. They are a member of the subfamily Trichomycterinae.[1] Species of Scleronema are geographically distributed in the La Plata basin and Atlantic coastal drainages from Southern Brazil, Southern Paraguay, Northeastern Argentina and Uruguay. They inhabit rivers or streams with sand or gravel-bottoms across the Pampa grasslands.[2] In Greek, Scleronema means "hard filament."[3]
There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[4]
S. minutum and S. operculatum both originate from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; S. minutum 4.0 cm (1.6 in) SL and S. operculatum 8.0 cm (3.1 in).[5][6] S. minutum and S. operculatum usually live in a freshwater, tropical environment.[5][6] S. operculatum are harmless to humans.[6]
As of 2017, S. angustirostre has been deemed a prohibited nonnative species in Florida, meaning the species is a danger to the ecology, health, and/or welfare of Florida and its residents. Like other species of Scleronema, S. angustirostre thrive in a freshwater environment and are benthopelagic, meaning that they either live at the surface or bottom of a body of water.[7]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Scleronema is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America. They are a member of the subfamily Trichomycterinae. Species of Scleronema are geographically distributed in the La Plata basin and Atlantic coastal drainages from Southern Brazil, Southern Paraguay, Northeastern Argentina and Uruguay. They inhabit rivers or streams with sand or gravel-bottoms across the Pampa grasslands. In Greek, Scleronema means "hard filament."
