Hemiodontidae

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

The Hemidontidae is a small family of freshwater characins found in northern South America, south to the Paraná-Paraguay Basin. The larger species are popular food fish.[1]

Hemiodontids have a streamlined body shape; many are fast-swimming, and are able to leap out of the water to escape predators. In the adults of all species except Micromischodus sugillatus, there are no teeth on the lower jaws. 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 largest hemiodontids are around 50 centimetres (20 in) in length.[1]

Genera

The family has five genera and around 29 known species,[2] as well as several undescribed species.

References

  1. ^ a b Weitzman, S.H. & Vari, R.P. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 104. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Hemiodontidae" in FishBase. October 2011 version.