Hemiodontidae

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Hemiodontidae

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Suborder: Characoidei
Superfamily: Hemiodontoidea
Family: Hemiodontidae
Subfamilies and Genera

Subfamily Anodontinae

  • Anodus
  • Micromischodus

Subfamily Hemiodontinae

  • Tribe Hemiodontini
    • Hemiodus
  • Tribe Bivibranchiini
    • Argonectes
    • Bivibranchia

The Hemidontidae is a small family of characins found South America. The family has five genera and around 28 species, as well as several undescribed species. Hemiodontids are all freshwater and usually pelagic. They live in northern South America, south to the Paraná-Paraguay Basin.

Hemiodontids have a streamlined body shape; many are fast-swimming. In the adults of all species except Micromischodus sugillatus, the lower jaw of adults lack teeth. Most species have a round spot on the side of the mid-body and a stripe along the lower lobe of the caudal fin. The maximum length is about 30 cm SL.

[edit] References

  • "Hemiodontidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. Feb 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
  • Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317
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