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Trichomycterus punctulatus is a species of fish of the family Trichomycteridae, native to freshwater habitats in western Peru.[1] This elongated catfish can reach a length of 19.5 cm (7.7 in).[2]

Trichomycterus punctulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Trichomycteridae
Genus:	Trichomycterus
Species:	T. punctulatus
Binomial name
Trichomycterus punctulatus Valenciennes, 1846

Range, habitat and behavior

This nocturnal freshwater fish is endemic to western Peru, ranging at least from Lambayeque and Cajamarca[3] to Tacna.[4] It mostly lives in rivers and streams, but can also be found in habitats such as small lakes and paddy fields.[3] It is an opportunistic predator that mainly feeds on insects,[5] but also will take small crustaceans and plant material (algae and remains of phanerogams).[2]

Importance to humans

It is fished and plays an important role in the local cuisine in northern Peru, where this species is known as life, pronounced "lee-fey", or life monsefuano (dishes: panquitas de life or sudado de life).[3][6] Although it can be difficult to ascertain the exact species depicted in the artwork of the ancient Moche culture,[7] it was likely T. punctulatus that was important in their mythology where perhaps recognized as a connection between light and darkness.[2][3] In excavations of Huaca de la Luna, more than one-quarter of all fish bones were this species, revealing that it already played an important role as a food to the Moche.[6]

References

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