Alestidae

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Alestidae
Temporal range: Late Paleocene to present
Brycinus longipinnis.JPG
Brycinus longipinnis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Suborder: Characoidei
Family: Alestidae
Cockerell 1910 [1]
Genera

See text

African tetras (family Alestidae, formerly spelled Alestiidae) are a group of characiform fish found exclusively in Africa. [2] This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tigerfish.

Although presently found only in Africa, fossil evidence suggests that during the Paleogene, they ranged as far north as southern Europe and as far east as the Arabian subcontinent. [3] Fossil remains date back to potentially the Late Paleocene with Hydrocynus remains known from Algeria. [4] Alestid-like teeth are also known from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of France, and phylogenetic evidence also suggests they diverged around this time. [5] [6]

Taxonomy

Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) Phenacogrammus interruptus (aka).jpg
Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
Hydrocynus goliath, the largest species in the family Hydrocynus goliath - Poisson-chien - Aqua porte Doree 04.JPG
Hydrocynus goliath , the largest species in the family

Taxonomy based on Van der Laan 2017 [7] and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2025): [8]

The following fossil genera are also known:

The Lepidarchidae, whose two genera were previously placed in this family, have been found to be an ancient group more closely related to the Hepsetidae, and are thus placed in their own family now. [6]

References

  1. ↑ Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 1–230. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 . PMID   25543675.
  2. ↑ Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN   0-471-25031-7
  3. 1 2 3 Murray, Alison M (2003). "A new characiform fish (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from the Eocene of Tanzania" . Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 40 (4): 473–481. doi:10.1139/e02-108. ISSN   0008-4077.
  4. ↑ Hammouda, Sid-Ahmed; Murray, Alison M.; Divay, Julien D.; Mebrouk, Fateh; Adaci, Mohammed; Bensalah, Mustapha (2016). "Earliest occurrence of Hydrocynus (Characiformes, Alestidae) from Eocene continental deposits of Méridja Hamada, northwestern Sahara, Algeria" . Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 53 (10): 1042–1052. doi:10.1139/cjes-2016-0006. ISSN   0008-4077.
  5. ↑ Otero, O.; Valentin, X.; Garcia, G. (2008). "Cretaceous characiform fishes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from Northern Tethys: description of new material from the Maastrichtian of Provence (Southern France) and palaeobiogeographical implications" . Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 295 (1): 155–164. doi:10.1144/SP295.10. ISSN   0305-8719.
  6. 1 2 Melo, Bruno F; Stiassny, Melanie L J (2024-01-01). "Phylogenomic and anatomical evidence for the Late Cretaceous diversification of African characiform fishes, including a new family, under the influence of the Trans-Saharan Seaway". Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society. 3 (1): kzae030. doi: 10.1093/evolinnean/kzae030 . ISSN   2752-938X.
  7. ↑ van der Laan, Richard (December 2017). Freshwater fish list (PDF) (23rd ed.). p. 997. ISSN   2468-9157.
  8. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Alestidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 ZANATA, ANGELA M.; VARI, RICHARD P. (2005-09-01). "The family Alestidae (Ostariophysi, Characiformes): a phylogenetic analysis of a trans-Atlantic clade" . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 145 (1): 1–144. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00183.x. ISSN   0024-4082.


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