Trichomycterus punctulatus is a species of fish of the family Trichomycteridae, native to freshwater habitats in western Peru. This elongated catfish can reach a length of 19.5cm (07.7inches).[1]
This nocturnal freshwater fish is endemic to western Peru, ranging at least from Lambayeque and Cajamarca[2] to Tacna.[3] It mostly lives in rivers and streams, but can also be found in habitats such as small lakes and paddy fields.[2] It is an opportunistic predator that mainly feeds on insects,[4] but also will take small crustaceans and plant material (algae and remains of phanerogams).[1]
It is fished and plays an important role in the local cuisine in northern Peru, where this species is known as life, pronounced "lee-fey", or life monsefuano (dishes: panquitas de life or sudado de life).[2] Although it can be difficult to ascertain the exact species depicted in the artwork of the ancient Moche culture,[5] it was likely T. punctulatus that was important in their mythology where perhaps recognized as a connection between light and darkness.[1] [2] In excavations of Huaca de la Luna, more than one-quarter of all fish bones were this species, revealing that it already played an important role as a food to the Moche.