Crenicichla
| Pike cichlids | |
|---|---|
 | |
| C. punctata from the Pelotas River, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Superclass: | Osteichthyes |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Subclass: | Neopterygii |
| Infraclass: | Teleostei |
| Superorder: | Acanthopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Cichlinae |
| Genus: | Crenicichla Heckel, 1840 |
| Type species | |
| Crenicichla macrophthalma Heckel, 1840 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Crenicichla, the pike cichlids, is a genus of cichlids native to South America where they are found in most of tropical and subtropical areas between the Andes and the Atlantic.[1]
Description
The smallest species of Crenicichla (notably members of the C. wallacei species group) are no larger than 6–14 cm (2.4–5.5 in),[2] and technically qualify as "dwarf cichlids" for the aquarium hobby – though their aggressive and voracious habits should let prospective keepers beware. The biggest pike cichlids can grow to about 50 cm (20 in) long.[2] Most Crenicichla measure in the range of 15–30 cm (6–12 in). Like many other predatory fishes, a pike cichlid has a wide mouth and elongated body.
Distribution and ecology
The genus Crenicichla is native to South America and lives in freshwater rivers, streams, pools, and lakes. The majority of the species are found in the Amazon Basin, but some species are found further north in The Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, and as far south as central Argentina and in all river systems of Uruguay.
A majority of the species lives in warm waters, but several exceptions occur, notably those species living in subtropical parts of Argentina and Uruguay. Pike cichlids are predatory and feed on fish, insects, and other small animals. They usually place themselves where they can stay undetected by the prey, like close to a sunken tree stem or behind a rock. This behavior, as well as the correspondingly adapted shape, which resembles that the unrelated pikes (Esocidae) of the Holarctic, gives the pike cichlids their common name.
Species
The 89 recognized species in this genus are:
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In addition to these, several undescribed species are known.[2]
References
- ↑ Kullander, Sven O. & Lucena, Carlos A. (2006): A review of the species of Crenicichla (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Atlantic coastal rivers of southeastern Brazil from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul States, with descriptions of three new species. Neotropical Ichthyology 4(2): 127–146. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252006000200001 PDF fulltext
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gottwald, J:Crenicichla arten. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ↑ Varella, H.R., Kullander, S.O. & Lima, F.C.T. (2012): Crenicichla chicha, a new species of pike cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the rio Papagaio, upper rio Tapajós basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology, 10 (2): 233-244.
- ↑ Kullander, S.O. & Lucena, C.A.S.d. (2013): Crenicichla gillmorlisi, a new species of cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Paraná river drainage in Paraguay. Zootaxa, 3641 (2): 149–164.
- ↑ Mattos, J.L., Schindler, I., Ottoni, F.P. & Cheffe, M.M.. (2014): A new species of Crenicichla from the upper Rio das Antas basin, dos Patos lagoon system, southern Brazil (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 64 (1): 35–42.
- ↑ Casciotta, J., Almirón, A., Aichino, D., Gómez, S., Piálek, L. & Rícan, O. (2013): Crenicichla taikyra (Teleostei: Cichlidae), a new species of pike cichlid from the middle río Paraná, Argentina. Zootaxa, 3721 (4): 379–386.