Trichomycterus

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Trichomycterus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Family: Trichomycteridae Subfamily: Trichomycterinae Genus: Trichomycterus Valenciennes, 1832
Type species
Trichomycterus nigricans Valenciennes, 1832
Species
See text.

Trichomycterus is a genus of catfishes, the largest genus in the family Trichomycteridae with over 100 species currently described.

Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Description 4 Species 5 References

[edit] Taxonomy

This genus is defined by the lack of specializations found in other trichomycterids and is certainly polyphyletic.^[1][2] Although known to contain many species, Trichomycterus is poorly known with many of the known species based on brief descriptions and many others undescribed.^[1]

Some authors have tentatively defined putative monophyletic assemblages within the genus Trichomycterus based on the possession of unique morphological features.^[1] The T. brasiliensis species-complex includes T. brasiliensis, T. iheringi, T. maracaya, T. mimonha, T. potschi, T. vermiculatus, and several undescribed species apparently endemic to the main river basins draining the Brazilian Shield.^[3] However, an assemblage of species from south and southeastern Brazil is also supported that includes T. guaraquessaba, T. iheringi, T. nigricans, T. davisi, T. stawiarski, T. castroi, T. triguttatus, T. immaculatus, T. itatiayae, T. mirissumba, T. zonatus, T. naipi, T. taboba, T. papilliferus, T. mboycy, and T. plumbeus.^[2] T. aguarague, T. alterus, T. boylei, T. ramosus, and T. belensis also form a diagnosable species assemblage.^[4]

[edit] Distribution and habitat

Species of Trichomycterus inhabit a diversity of habitats throughout South and Central America from Costa Rica in the north to Patagonia in the south, and from lowland Atlantic rainforest in the east to Andean streams in the west.^[4] A number of species of Trichomycterus are known from various mid- to high-elevation localities in western Argentina; in these upland regions the species of Trichomycterus are among the few, or sometimes only, fishes occupying water bodies at middle to higher elevations.^[5] About 60 nominal species are endemic to the river basins draining the Andes and hills of the Guianan Shield, and about 30 species are endemic to river basins draining the Brazilian Shield.^[6]

Despite the broad distribution of the genus, most species have limited distributions, and usually are restricted to only one river.^[7] Wide-ranging species are most likely complexes of species that are difficult to differentiate, such as the T. brasiliensis species-complex.^[3] Trichomycterus gorgona, from a small stream on Gorgona Island located west of the Pacific coast of Colombia, is the first known trichomycterid to be endemic to an offshore island.^[8] There are also four known species of Trichomycterus that inhabit caves.^[9]

[edit] Description

These fish are generally small, usually about 50–150 millimetres (2.0–5.9 in) SL.^[1] Species differ from one another primarily in body proportions, fin ray counts, and colouration.^[4]

[edit] Species

Species list according to Ferraris, 2007; newer species with references.^[10]

Trichomycterus aguarague[4] Trichomycterus albinotatus Trichomycterus alternatus Trichomycterus alterus Trichomycterus areolatus Trichomycterus arleoi Trichomycterus auroguttatus Trichomycterus bahianus Trichomycterus banneaui Trichomycterus barbouri Trichomycterus belensis[11] Trichomycterus bogotensis Trichomycterus bomboizanus Trichomycterus borellii Trichomycterus boylei Trichomycterus brasiliensis Trichomycterus caliensis Trichomycterus candidus Trichomycterus castroi Trichomycterus catamarcensis[12] Trichomycterus caudofasciatus[6] Trichomycterus celsae Trichomycterus chaberti Trichomycterus chapmani Trichomycterus chiltoni Trichomycterus chungaraensis Trichomycterus concolor Trichomycterus conradi Trichomycterus corduvensis Trichomycterus davisi Trichomycterus diabolus Trichomycterus dispar Trichomycterus dorsostriatus Trichomycterus duellmani Trichomycterus emanueli Trichomycterus fassli Trichomycterus gabrieli Trichomycterus giganteus[7] Trichomycterus goeldii

Trichomycterus gorgona[8] Trichomycterus guaraquessaba[2] Trichomycterus guianensis Trichomycterus hasemani Trichomycterus heterodontus Trichomycterus igobi[13] Trichomycterus iheringi[2] Trichomycterus immaculatus Trichomycterus itacambirussu Trichomycterus itacarambiensis Trichomycterus itatiayae Trichomycterus jacupiranga[14] Trichomycterus jequitinhonhae Trichomycterus johnsoni Trichomycterus knerii Trichomycterus landinga Trichomycterus latidens Trichomycterus latistriatus Trichomycterus laucaensis Trichomycterus lewi Trichomycterus longibarbatus Trichomycterus maracaiboensis Trichomycterus maracaya[3] Trichomycterus mboycy[15] Trichomycterus megantoni [16] Trichomycterus meridae Trichomycterus migrans Trichomycterus mimonha Trichomycterus mirissumba Trichomycterus mondolfi Trichomycterus motatanensis Trichomycterus naipi[15] Trichomycterus nigricans Trichomycterus nigromaculatus Trichomycterus pantherinus[6] Trichomycterus paolencis Trichomycterus papilliferus[15] Trichomycterus paquequerensis Trichomycterus pauciradiatus[1] Trichomycterus piurae Trichomycterus plumbeus[15]

Trichomycterus potschi[17] Trichomycterus pradensis Trichomycterus pseudosilvinichthys[5] Trichomycterus punctatissimus Trichomycterus punctulatus Trichomycterus ramosus Trichomycterus regani Trichomycterus reinhardti Trichomycterus retropinnis Trichomycterus riojanus Trichomycterus rivulatus Trichomycterus roigi Trichomycterus romeroi Trichomycterus santaeritae Trichomycterus santanderensis[9] Trichomycterus spegazzinii Trichomycterus spelaeus Trichomycterus spilosoma Trichomycterus stawiarski Trichomycterus stellatus Trichomycterus straminius Trichomycterus striatus Trichomycterus taczanowskii Trichomycterus taenia Trichomycterus taeniops Trichomycterus taroba[15] Trichomycterus tenuis Trichomycterus therma[18] Trichomycterus transandianus Trichomycterus trefauti[19] Trichomycterus triguttatus Trichomycterus tupinamba[14] Trichomycterus unicolor Trichomycterus variegatus Trichomycterus venulosus Trichomycterus vermiculatus Trichomycterus vittatus Trichomycterus weyrauchi Trichomycterus yuska[20] Trichomycterus zonatus

[edit] References