Hypopomidae
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Hypopomidae is a family of fishes in the order Gymnotiformes known as the bluntnose knifefish. They may also be called grass or leaf knifefishes.[1] These fish are not often eaten, of little commercial importances, are rarely kept as aquarium fish, and are poorly studied; however, species in this family may constitute a significant fraction of the biomass to the areas they inhabit.[2]
These fish originate from freshwater in Panama and South America.[1] The Hypopomidae is confined to the Humid Neotropics, ranging the Río de la Plata of Argentina (35° S) to the Río Tuira of Panama (8°N). Hypopomids are known from the continental waters of all South American countries except Chile, and are most diverse in the Amazon basin.[2]
The teeth are absent on the oral jaws. Unlike the closely related Rhamphichthyidae, species of this family do not have a tubular snout, but a blunt, short one. Also, the nostrils are well separated. This family contains the smallest gymnotiform, Hypopygus lepturus, which reaches a maximum of 9 cm TL. The largest species in this family reaches only 35 cm in Brachyhypopomus brevirostris.[1] These fish have extremely small eyes that are smaller in diameter than the distance between their nares. The long anal fin originates below or posterior to their pectoral fins. There is no caudal fin.[2]
The electric organ discharge (EOD) of these fish are multiphasic and usually biphasic, meaning the discharges are produced in distinct pulses.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Nelson, Joseph, S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. ISBN 0471250317.
- ^ a b c d "Hypopomidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Apr 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
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