Rhamdia nicaraguensis (Günther 1864)

Angulo, Arturo, Betts, Joel T., González-Alemán, Néstor J., Castañeda, Edgar, Berghe, Eric Van Den, Elías, Diego J., Mcmahan, Caleb D. & Matamoros, Wilfredo A., 2023, Continental fishes of Nicaragua: diversity, distribution and conservation status; with an annotated and illustrated checklist of species and an identification guide to families, Zootaxa 5376 (1), pp. 1-89 : 27

Rhamdia nicaraguensis (Günther 1864) . Nicaraguan Catfish; Barbudo, Chulín, Bagre, Barbudo de Nicaragua o Nicaraguense

Vouchers: UCR 0024-009 (1), 0049-004 (2), 0188-004 (15), 0190-005 (1), 0462-003 (1), 0469-001 (1), 0538-004 (3), 0539-010 (2), 0541-001 (1), 0542-011 (2), 0543-002 (19), 0544-001 (3), 0544-003 (4), 0545-001 (2) and 1096- 001 (1); FMNH 5905 (2), 5903 (19), 5904 (1), 83833 (2) and 83834 (2); LSUMZ 15457 (2); other collections: ANSP 8444 (1), 124137 (1), CAS 39440 (2), KU 17300 (1), 17301 (1), 22721 (1), 22722 (1), 22723 (1), MCZ 52519 (1), UF 23761 (1), 34211 (1), UMMZ 200737 (1), 204006 (1), 204007 (1), 204010 (1), YPM-ICH 008563 (34), 008564 (10), YPM ICH 008565 (7), YPM ICH 008566 (2), YPM ICH 009417 (1), YPM ICH 010238 (2), YPM ICH 024543 (9), YPM ICH 024544 (35) and YPM ICH 024545 (4). Distribution: Central America; from northern Nicaragua to Central Costa Rica, Atlantic and Pacific drainages; ( Nicaragua) Es, BF, IM, To, Sa, SJ, RF and LN (Atlantic); 0–125 masl; Pri, Pot. Occurrence and conservation status: Nat; LC (2020), population trend stable. Literature: Meek (1907: 105, also as Rhamdia managuensis (Günther 1867) —synonym; brief description, including an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Fowler (1923: 24; brief description, including information on distribution), Astorqui (1975: 68, also as R. managuensis (Günther 1867) —synonym; brief description, including illustrations and an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Villa (1982: 122, as Rhamdia luigiana Villa 1977 and R. managuensis —synonyms; detailed description, including illustrations and an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Bussing (1998: 152; brief description, including illustrations and an identification key, and information on distribution, with a map, and ecology), van den Berghe (2015: 37; listed, including an illustration and information on distribution and ecology) and Angulo (2021: 31; listed, including information on distribution). Remarks: Molecular data provided by Perdices et al. (2002) suggests that this species should be added to the synonymy of R. laticauda . Such authors concluded that there are two, not three, Rhamdia clades of equivalent evolutionary status in Central America (i.e., R. guatemalensis and R. laticauda ) and that the morphological data available (e.g., Silfvergrip 1996, Bussing 1998) do not appear to strongly contradict this hypothesis. We considered this species as valid according to Bussing (1998), van den Berghe (2015) and Angulo (2021) and following Fricke et al. (2023). Morphological and more inclusive molecular studies are necessary to clarify this situation and to properly diagnose the taxon or taxa involved.