The Pseudopimelodidae are a small family (about 40 species) of catfishes known as the bumblebee catfishes or dwarf marbled catfishes. Some of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
This family was formerly a subfamily of Pimelodidae.[1] Pseudopimelodidae is a monophyletic group. Previously, the superfamily Pseudopimelodoidea was sister to superfamilies Sisoroidea + Loricarioidea.[1] However, some evidence has shown this family, along with Pimelodidae, Heptapteridae, and Conorhynchos, may form a monophyletic assemblage, which contradicts the hypothesis that the former family Pimelodidae that included these families is a polyphyletic group.[2]
The Pseudopimelodidae are restricted to fresh water in South America,[1] from the Atrato River in Colombia to Argentina in the Río de la Plata.[3]
These catfishes have wide mouths, small eyes, and short barbels.[4] Their bold markings lead them to be commonly known as bumblebee catfishes or dwarf marbled catfishes.[1] B. acanthochiroides grows to 80.0 cm (31 in) TL. However, most species are smaller; species of the genus Microglanis rarely exceed 70 mm(2.8 in) SL and are never over 80 mm (3.1 in) SL.[4]