Brachyhypopomus is a genus of fish in the family Hypopomidae (bluntnose knifefish) native primarily to tropical and subtropical South America (south to the Río de la Plata Basin), although a single species, B. occidentalis, also occurs in Panama and Costa Rica.[1][2] They are found in a wide range of static or slow-flowing freshwater habitats such as edges of rivers, streams, floodplains and swamps, but they are absent from deep river channels (a habitat of many other knifefish).[2] There are both species in well-oxygenated waters and poorly oxygenated waters; those in the latter have adaptions that allow them to survive this like larger gills or the capability of gulping up mouthfuls of air from the water surface.[2][3] Brachyhypopomus feed during the night on small invertebrates.[2]
| Brachyhypopomus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gymnotiformes |
| Family: | Hypopomidae |
| Genus: | Brachyhypopomus Mago-Leccia, 1994 |
| Type species | |
| Rhamphichthys brevirostris Steindachner, 1868
| |
They are small to medium sized knifefish, reaching up to 12–46 cm (4.7–18.1 in) in total length depending on the species involved.[1][2] Overall the various species are similar in general shape, but they do differ in morphometrics and meristics. They vary in general color and pattern, but are well-camouflaged and typically brownish. During the night they change color and become very pale, even species that are dark-colored during the day. Brachyhypopomus are very similar to Microsternarchus and Procerusternarchus.[2]
Species
editThere are currently 28 recognized species in this genus:[1]
- Brachyhypopomus alberti Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus arrayae Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus batesi Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus beebei (L. P. Schultz, 1944)
- Brachyhypopomus belindae Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus benjamini Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus bennetti Sullivan, Zuanon & Cox-Fernandes, 2013[4]
- Brachyhypopomus bombilla Loureiro & A. C. Silva, 2006
- Brachyhypopomus brevirostris (Steindachner, 1868)
- Brachyhypopomus bullocki Sullivan & Hopkins, 2009
- Brachyhypopomus cunia Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus diazae (Fernández-Yépez, 1972)
- Brachyhypopomus draco Giora, L. R. Malabarba & Crampton, 2008
- Brachyhypopomus flavipomus Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus gauderio (formerly Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus) Giora & L. R. Malabarba, 2009
- Brachyhypopomus hamiltoni Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus hendersoni Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus janeiroensis (W. J. E. M. Costa & Campos-da-Paz, 1992)
- Brachyhypopomus jureiae Triques & Khamis, 2003
- Brachyhypopomus menezesi Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus occidentalis (Regan, 1914)
- Brachyhypopomus palenque Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus provenzanoi Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus regani Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus sullivani Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 [2]
- Brachyhypopomus verdii Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016[2]
- Brachyhypopomus walteri Sullivan, Zuanon & Cox-Fernandes, 2013[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Brachyhypopomus". FishBase. June 2017 version.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Crampton, W.G.R., de Santana, C.D., Waddell, J.C. & Lovejoy, N.R. (2016): Clifford,W,J A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical electric fish genus Brachyhypopomus (Ostariophysi: Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae), with descriptions of 15 new species. Neotropical Ichthyology, 14 (4): e150146.
- ^ Carvalho, L.N.; L. Fidelis; R. Arruda; A. Galuch; K. Zuanon (2013). "Second floor, please: the fish fauna of floating litter banks in Amazonian streams and rivers". Neotrop. Ichthyol. 11 (1): 78–91. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252013000100010.
- ^ a b Sullivan, J.P., Zuanon, J. & Cox Fernandes, C. (2013): Two new species and a new subgenus of toothed Brachyhypopomus electric knifefishes (Gymnotiformes, Hypopomidae) from the central Amazon and considerations pertaining to the evolution of a monophasic electric organ discharge. ZooKeys, 327: 1–34.