Trichomycterus punctulatus

This nocturnal freshwater fish is endemic to western Peru, ranging at least from Lambayeque and Cajamarca[3] to Tacna.[4] It mostly lives in rivers and streams, but can also be found in habitats such as small lakes and paddy fields.[3] It is an opportunistic predator that mainly feeds on insects,[5] but also will take small crustaceans and plant material (algae and remains of phanerogams).[2]

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).[3][6] Although it can be difficult to ascertain the exact species depicted in the artwork of the ancient Moche culture,[7] it was likely T. punctulatus that was important in their mythology where perhaps recognized as a connection between light and darkness.[2][3] 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.[6]