Hoplosternum littorale
(Hancock 1828)
Family Callichthyidae

Lateral view of two armored catfishes
The photo above shows an adult, top, and juvenile, bottom, brown hoplo. These specimens are now part of the Florida Museum’s ichthyology collection. Top: UF 186988 Bottom: UF 186931 Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The brown hoplo is a member of the armored catfish family, and has two rows of bony plates and an elongate, slightly compressed body. This species has a slightly subterminal mouth, brown to dark gray fins and long maxillary barbels. Brown hoplos can be found in rivers, lakes, canals, wetland prairies and ditches that have silty mud bottoms. This species is often near dense, submergent vegetation.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Non-indigenous freshwater
  • Florida Distribution — Peninsula drainages
  • River Drainages — Withlacoochee River, Tampa Bay, the Myakka or Peace River, Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River, the Everglades, Indian River and the St. John’s River
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