Loricariids are found in southern North America, Central America and, of course, South America. They comprise more than 90 genera and 820 described species. In addition, there are at least the same number of undescribed species, which are often referred to as L-Numbers.

What they all have in common is that they have a sucker mouth. Depending on the species, they can grow from a few centimeters to over a meter in size. They live in stagnant or gently flowing waters as well as in the strongest currents of raging mountain streams.

The name L-catfish goes back to the aquarium magazine DATZ. Its editor-in-chief at the time, Rainer Stawikowski, Arthur Werner (owner of the then importer Transfish) and Ulrich Schliewen (curator of ichthyology at the Munich State Zoological Collection) “invented” it in a pizzeria in Munich. The “L” stands for Loricariidae (family of loricariid catfishes) and the number behind it for the order of publication in the DATZ. This should prevent the creation of fantasy names, making it easier to talk about newly discovered species. Previously, each exporter gave them their own name and nobody really knew what was being delivered…

Once a species has been scientifically described, the “L number” should actually be dissolved, as it has served its purpose. However, we can see from the zebra catfish (Hypancistrus zebra) that this didn’t quite work out. Although the species has been scientifically described since 1991, the term L 46 is still on everyone’s lips…