Silvinichthys

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Silvinichthys
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Trichomycteridae
Subfamily: Trichomycterinae
Genus: Silvinichthys
Arratia, 1998
Type species
Trichomycterus mendozensis
Arratia, Chang G., Menu-Marque & Rojas M., 1978

Silvinichthys is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.

Species

There are currently five recognized species in this genus: [1][2][3]

  • Silvinichthys bortayro L. A. Fernández & de Pinna, 2005
  • Silvinichthys gualcamayo L. A. Fernández, Sanabria & Quiroga, 2013[2]
  • Silvinichthys huachi L. A. Fernández, Sanabria, Quiroga & Vari, 2014[3]
  • Silvinichthys leoncitensis L. A. Fernández, Dominino, Brancolini & Baigún, 2011
  • Silvinichthys mendozensis (Arratia, A. Chang, Menu-Marque & Rojas M., 1978)

Distribution

S. bortayro is known from artificial wells in the Salta Province, Argentina.[4] S. mendozensis is endemic to the Andean foothill range of Mendoza between 1500–1700 metres (4900–5600 ft) altitude, and is not found underground.[4]

Description

S. bortayro has many specializations due to its subterranean lifestyle, such as loss of fins, reduction of eyes and pigmentation, and loss of cryptic behavior.[4]

S. bortayro differs from S. mendozensis in having 6 versus 7 or 8 pectoral-fin rays and the absence versus presence of the pelvic fin and pelvic girdle.[4] S. bortayro is known to grow to 2.8 centimetres (1.1 in) SL.[5] S. mendozensis is known to grow to 7.3 cm (2.9 in) SL.[6]

Ecology

S. bortayro represents the first trichomycterid discovered to occur in phreatic habitats, living in groundwater below the water table. The bottom of the wells is composed of sand and lime, and the water is transparent and less than 1 m (3 ft) deep.[4]

Conservation

S. bortayro is at risk of extinction and conservation efforts are necessary to prevent contamination of its habitat.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2013). Species of Silvinichthys in FishBase. February 2013 version.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fernández, L., Sanabria, E.A. & Quiroga, L.B. (2013): Silvinichthys gualcamayo, a new species of catfish from the central Andes of Argentina (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 23 (4) [2012]: 367-373.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fernández, L., Sanabria, E.A., Quiroga, L.B. & Vari, R.P. (in press): A new species of Silvinichthys (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae) lacking pelvic fins from mid-elevation localities of the southern Andes, with comments on the genus. Journal of Fish Biology, 84 (2): 372–382.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Fernández, Luis; de Pinna, Mario C. C. (2005). "Phreatic Catfish of the Genus Silvinichthys from Southern South America (Teleostei, Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae)". Copeia 2005 (1): 100–108. doi:10.1643/CI-03-158R2. 
  5. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "Silvinichthys bortayro" in FishBase. July 2007 version.
  6. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "Silvinichthys mendozensis" in FishBase. July 2007 version.
  7. ↑ Fernandez, Luis (May 2005). "Risk of Extinction of a Rare Catfish of Andean Groundwater and its Priority for Conservation". AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 34 (3): 269–270. doi:10.1639/0044-7447(2005)034[0269:ROEOAR]2.0.CO;2. 


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