Chaetostoma micropus is a small freshwater fish from the loricariid catfish family. It lives in fast mountain streams of Peru and uses a sucker mouth to cling to rocks.
Chaetostoma micropus differs from related species by its very small eyes and adaptation to life in cold fast streams. It is important for nature because it controls algae growth and serves as part of the food chain in mountain rivers.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Tropical moist forest
Worker
Elders
Bro
scraping
birth time
Taxons
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
no permanent shelter
Close
detritus, eat dead remains of plants, animals and all kinds of organic debris on the bottom
was
days
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Neotropical realm
suction
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Rasping or abrading food surfaces with teeth or mouthparts.
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
organic debris
3 to 8 grams, 0.5 – 5 centimeters
primary food sources
Neotropical realm
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Fins count
Potential Habitat
About health
Searches for food on or among rocks and stony surfaces.
algae
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Repro interval
Armor plates count
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Body size
biofilm on stones and surfaces in water — algae, bacteria, protozoa (afvukhs)
Colors
Armor plates color
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
No results found
Trophic type
Filters
On the map
all life stages
Female ♀
always hot and humid, huge trees and vines
Upcoming birthdays
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
rains almost always, very humid
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
rock
sq mm
yr
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Age (larva)
How similar?
algae
rocky stream
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
periphyton and biofilm
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Mouthpart modified to create suction for ingesting food or anchoring.
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
from birth to adulthood
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
young after fast growth
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
from birth to death
Regeneration
Juvenile stage following larval metamorphosis but not yet adult.
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
Egg count
This is me
freshwater
Always very wet
Gamers
aquatic plants and algae
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
{name} jubilee
Eyes size
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
Sucker mouth color
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
foraging
°C
Not specified
Berry
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Egg color
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
all rivers and lakes
herbivore
Length
Sucker mouth size
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Observations
◉{N} more on tap