Revision of the catfish family Pimelodidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) of Bolivia

This review provides an updated list, morphological characterization, and an artificial dichotomous key for identifying Pimelodidae fish species of Bolivia. 346 specimens deposited in the UMSS–Museo d’Orbigny Ichthyological Collection (Cochabamba, Bolivia) were examined. The morphological characterization was based on 41 measurements. The species list considered the museum collection and records available in the literature for Bolivia. Forty-eight species and 24 genera were identified from the Amazon (44) and La Plata (16) basins. New records for Bolivia were Hypophthalmus celiae, H. oremaculatus, Iheringichthys megalops, and two new potential species were identified within the genus Propimelodus. Additionally, two new undescribed genera are listed: one collected from the bottom of the Beni River channel (three specimens), and the second from the bottom of the Beni and the Mamoré river channels in the north of Bolivia (one specimen). Species groups such as Pimelodus gr. blochii and P. gr. maculatus are taxonomically challenging and difficult to identify due to morphological similarities. This study reveals the high diversity of Pimelodidae in Bolivia, and the presence of new genera and species.