Rineloricaria

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Rineloricaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Loricariidae
Subfamily: Loricariinae
Tribe: Loricariini
Genus: Rineloricaria
Bleeker 1862
Species

R. aequalicuspis
R. altipinnis
R. beni
R. cacerensis
R. cadeae
R. caracasensis
R. castroi
R. catamarcensis
R. cubataonis
R. eigenmanni
R. fallax
R. felipponei
R. formosa
R. hasemani
R. henselii
R. heteroptera
R. hoehnei
R. jaraguensis
R. jubata
R. konopickyi
R. kronei
R. lanceolata
R. latirostris
R. lima
R. longicauda
R. magdalenae
R. maquinensis
R. melini
R. microlepidogaster
R. microlepidota
R. misionera
R. morrowi
R. nigricauda
R. pareiacantha
R. parva
R. pentamaculata
R. phoxocephala
R. platyura
R. quadrensis
R. rupestris
R. sneiderni
R. steindachneri
R. stewarti
R. strigilata
R. teffeana
R. thrissoceps
R. uracantha
R. wolfei
Synonyms
  • Hemiloricaria
    Bleeker 1862
  • Fonchiiichthys
    Isbrücker and Michels 2001
  • Leliella
    Isbrücker 2001

Rineloricaria (from the Greek, rhinos meaning nose, and the Latin, lorica meaning cuirass of leather) is a genus of freshwater tropical catfish (order Siluriformes) belonging to the Loricariidae family. They are commonly called whiptail catfish because of the long filament that grows out of the tip of the caudal fin that is characteristic to their genus. They are native to the rivers of Northern and Central South America but are imported to other countries as household aquarium pets.

Contents

[edit] Taxonomy

This genus was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1862, with R. lima as type.[1] This genus is by far one of the most speciose of the subfamily Loricariinae, containing 49 species.[2] On the other hand, it is one of the least resolved genera.[3]

[edit] Distribution and habitat

The genus is widely distributed on nearly the entire subcontinent, from Costa Rica to Argentina, on both slopes of the Andes. Its species inhabit an extremely diverse array of environments.[2] Rineloricaria have an adaptive capacity enabling many species to exploit the most varied habitats; some species, such as R. strigilata, have been caught in highly polluted bodies of water and represent some of the main components of the ichthyological diversity in such habitats.[3]

[edit] Appearance and anatomy

The average length of a Rineloricaria catfish is about 13 cm (5 in) long.[citation needed] The fish are long, slender, have no visible barbels, an erect dorsal fin, a very thin caudal peduncle, and a narrow face. Coloration of the fishes are usually light brown with darker blotches, and have a dark dorsal fin.[citation needed] They are also covered with bony plates and have a sucker disk mouth, as is common with most fish in the Loricariidae family.

[edit] Reproduction

Sexual dimorphism includes hypertrophied development of the odontodes along the sides of the head, on the pectoral spines and rays, and predorsal area of mature males. Several species also show hypertrophied development of the odontodes on the entire caudal peduncle.[2] Rineloricaria are cavity brooders. Numerous eggs (often more than 100) are laid attached to one another in single layer masses on the cavity floor, and are brooded by males.[2] Rineloricaria exhibit high levels of karyotypic diversity with chromosome numbers ranging from 36 to 70.[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Rineloricaria". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e Covain, Raphael; Fisch-Muller, Sonia (2007). "The genera of the Neotropical armored catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a practical key and synopsis" (PDF). Zootaxa 1462: 1–40. 
  3. ^ a b Rodríguez, Mónica S.; Miquelarena, Amalia M. (2005). "A new species of Rineloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Paraná and Uruguay River basins, Misiones, Argentina" (PDF). Zootaxa 945: 1–15.