Characidae
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The Characidae or Characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the Order Characiformes. They originate in the Americas from southwestern Texas and Mexico through Central and South America. They vary in length with the smallest growing to a maximum length of 0.5 in (13 mm).
To some extent the family has served as a junk-basket category in the past. More recent revision has moved many former members of the family into their own related but distinct families - the Pencilfishes of the genus Nannostomus are a typical example, having now been moved into the Lebiasinidae, the assorted predatory characins belonging to Hoplias and Hoplerythrinus have now been moved into the Erythrinidae, and the Sabre-Toothed Fishes of the genus Hydrolycus have been moved into the Cynodontidae. There is still much revision needed, but progress in this area is being maintained at a steady pace.
Among those fishes that remain in the Characidae for the time being are the tetras, comprising the very similar genera Hemigrammus and Hyphessobrycon, as well as a few related forms. These include the cave and neon tetras.
The larger piranhas were orignally classified as belonging to the Characidae, but various revisions place them in their own related family, the Serrasalmidae. This reassignment has yet to enjoy universal acceptance, but is gaining in popularity among taxonomists working with these fishes. Given the current state of flux of the Characidae, a number of other changes will doubtless take place, reassigning once-familiar species to other families. Indeed, the entire phylogeny of the Ostariophysans (fishes possessing a Weberian apparatus) has yet to be conclusively settled, and until that phylogeny is settled, the opportunity for yet more upheavals within the taxonomy of the Characoid fishes is considerable.
Related Families
The fishes whose families and genera are listed below are a diverse selection of fishes that were formerly classified as members of the Characidae, but which were moved into separate families of their own during recent taxonomic revisions (post-1994).
Family Acestrorhynchidae - South American Pike Characins
- Acestrorhynchus - Pike Characins or Freshwater Barracudas
- Alestes (or Brycinus)
- Hydrocynus - African Tigerfishes
- Micralestes
- Phenacogrammus
- Rhabdalestes
- and 13 other genera
- Chaenotropus
- Chilodus
- Belonophago - African Pike Characins
- Citharidium
- Citharinops
- Citharinus
- Congocharax
- Distichodus
- Dundocharax
- Eugnaichthys
- Hemigrammocharax
- Hemistochodus
- Ichthyborus
- Mesoborus
- Microstomatichthyoborus
- Nannaethiops
- Nannocharax
- Neolebias
- Paradistichodus
- Paraphago - African Pike Characins
- Phago - African Pike Characins
- Xenocharax
- Boulengerella
- Ctenolucius - Gar Characins
- Curimata
- Curimatella
- Curimatopsis
- Cyphocharax
- Potamorhina
- Psectrogaster
- Pseudocurimata
- Steindachnerina
- Cynodon
- Gilbertolus
- Hydrolycus - Sabre Tooth Fishes
- Rhaphiodon
- ''Roestes
- Erythrinus
- Hoplias - Trahiras or Destroyers
- Hoplerythrinus
- Carnegiella - Dwarf Hatchet Fishes
- Gasteropelecus - Hatchet Fishes
- Thoracocharax
- Anodus
- Argonectes
- Bivibranchia
- Hemiodus
- Micromischodus
- Hepsetus - sole species H. odoe, Kafue Pike
- Copeina
- Copella - Splashing Tetras
- Derhamia
- Lebiasina
- Piabucina
- Pyrrhulina
- Nannostomus - Pencil Fishes
- Apareiodon
- Parodon
- Saccodon
- Ichthyoelephas
- Prochilodus
- Semaprochilodus
References
- "Characidae." ITIS Standard Report. (Integrated Taxonomic Information System: National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 2004-10-13). URL: [ITIS 162848]
- "Family Characidae - Characins." FishBase. ed. Froese, R. and D. Pauly (08/2004), URL: [Characidae]
- Géry, Jacques, Characoids of the World, ISBN 0876664583
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