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Definition of otocinclus

otocinclus

/ˌoʊtoʊˈsɪŋkləs/
o · to · cin · clus
Plural:otocincluses
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otocinclus Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A small, herbivorous freshwater catfish native to South American rivers, widely kept by aquarists because it naturally grazes on aquarium algae.

Example

"I added a small school of otocinclus to my planted tank to help keep the glass free of green algae."

2

The taxonomic genus comprising these small armored catfishes within the family Loricariidae.

Example

"Researchers are continually discovering new species of Otocinclus in the remote tributaries of the Amazon basin."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for otocinclus

• Rhymes for otocinclus

• Nearby Words

otherworld
otherworldly
oti
otocinclus
ottawa
ottawa river
otter

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'oto-' (ear) and the Latin 'cinclus' (latticework), referring to the distinctive porous, grid-like structure of the cranial bones near the fish's ear region.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Otocinclus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/otocinclus
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