Eremophilus mutisii

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Eremophilus mutisii
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Family: Trichomycteridae Subfamily: Trichomycterinae Genus: Eremophilus Humboldt, 1805 Species: E. mutisii
Binomial name
Eremophilus mutisii Humboldt, 1805
Synonyms
Of Eremophilus Thrichomycterus Humboldt, 1805 Trachypoma Giebel, 1871 Of E. mutisii Trachypoma marmoratum Giebel, 1871

Eremophilus mutisii is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae, and the only species of the genus Eremophilus.^[2] This fish grows to about 30 centimetres (12 in) and originates from the Bogotá River basin. It has probably been introduced to Ubaté, Chinquinquirá, and Tundama valleys, Colombia.^[3]

E. mutisii uses the vascularized central portion of its stomach for aerial respiration. Air ventilation takes place during a rapid dash to the surface with the expiration of old air preceding inspiration. Air-breathing occurs in hypoxic and normoxic water, but is not obligatory. The evolution of a reduced swimbladder is associated with a benthic mode of life in E. mutisii.^[4][5]

This fish species is an excellent food fish. It is the only species of food fish which has been able to survive competition from introduced trout and carp species into the region.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). Eremophilus mutisii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 July 2007.
2. ^ Ferraris, Carl J., Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa 1418: 1–628. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Eremophilus mutisii". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. July 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
4. ^ Cala, P. (1987). "Aerial respiration in the catfish, Eremophilus mutisii (Trichomycteridae, Siluriformes), in the Rio Bogota Basin, Colombia". Journal of Fish Biology 31 (3): 301–303. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1987.tb05236.x. 
5. ^ Cala, P; del Castillo, B; Garzon B (1990). "Air-breathing behaviour of the Colombian catfish Eremophilus mutisii (Trichomycteridae, Siluriformes)". Exp Biol. 48 (6): 357–60.