Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Panama Suckermouth (Hypostomus aspidolepis) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

Hypostomus aspidolepis, the Panama Suckermouth, is an armored catfish species native to Panama and Costa Rica. It has been reported as introduced to two rivers in northern Costa Rica, but no information is available about the status or impacts of this introduction. History of invasiveness is uncertain. It has not been reported from the United States and there is no indication that it is in trade in the United States. H. aspidolepis has a low climate match with the entire contiguous United States. Because there is so little information available about this species, the certainty of this assessment is low. The overall risk assessment category is Uncertain.

Publication date
Type of document
Uncertain Risk
Program
A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work together to deliver resilient habitats, healthy fish, connected people, and strong partnerships. From habitat restoration to aquatic invasive species prevention, captive breeding to population assessment and monitoring, our programs are driven by the...
Silver Carp Jumping
Aquatic invasive species cause tremendous harm to our environment, our economy, and our health. They can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. We work to protect our waterways and the communities that depend on them from the threat of invasive...
Subject tags
Invasive species