Aphanotorulus ammophilus

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image =

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn|author=Armbruster, J.W. |year=2023 |title= Aphanotorulus ammophilus |page= e.T176013317A176013476 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T176013317A176013476.en|access-date=2 March 2024}}

| taxon = Aphanotorulus ammophilus

| authority = Armbruster & Page, 1996

}}

Aphanotorulus ammophilus, also known as the black spotted pleco,{{cite web | title = Aphanotorulus ammophilus, Armbruster & Page, 1996 | publisher = Aquatic-Experts | url = http://www.aquatic-experts.com/Aphanotorulus_ammophilus.html }} is a species of benthopelagic tropical freshwater catfish in the family Loricariidae native to Venezuela and Colombia, specifically the Río Orinoco drainage.Ray, C.K. & Armbruster, J.W. (2016): The genera Isorineloricaria and Aphanotorulus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) with description of a new species. Zootaxa, 4072 (5): 501–539. Due to an initial erroneous publication, A. ammophilus was initially placed into Hypostomus instead of Aphanotorulus. However, because this species shows sexual dimorphism, has a relatively flatter shape, and has a jagged posterior edge of its oral disc, it was placed in the genus Aphanotorulus. It sometimes appears in the aquarium trade, where it is known as the cute pleco, although it may be referred to by its L-numbers, L094 or L123.{{cite web | title = Cat-eLog:Hypostominae:Aphanotorulus ammophilus | website= Planet Catfish | url = https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=403|author=Dignall, J. G.}} A. ammophilus reaches {{cvt|16.1|cm}} SL.{{FishBase | genus = Aphanotorulus | species = ammophilus | year = 2015 | month = October }}