A genus of small catfish native to South America, characterized by a flattened body and bony plating.
From Greek 'aspis' meaning shield, referencing the fish's protective body plates. The name was Latinized in zoological taxonomy during the 18th century when European scientists were cataloging New World species, with -o being a common Latin nominative singular ending.
Aspredo catfish are famous in aquarium circles for being one of the smallest catfish species—some barely reach 3 inches long! Despite their tiny size, they're fierce bottom-feeders and display complex territorial behaviors that scientists have only recently begun studying.
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