Australoheros facetus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Genus: | Australoheros |
Species: | A. facetus |
Binomial name | |
Australoheros facetus | |
Distribution map of Australoheros facetus, green denotes the native range, red the introduced range | |
Synonyms | |
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Australoheros facetus, formerly Cichlasoma facetum, the chameleon cichlid or chanchito, is a species of cichlid from the subfamily Cichlasomatinae which is native to northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil.
Australoheros facetus has a high and deeply compressed body which is covered with large scales. [2] It has a small, upward pointing mouth [3] in which the jaws do not reach farther than the forward margin of the eye. It has a long dorsal fin which extends to two thirds of the total length of the fish. The caudal fin has a rounded shape. [2] It is distinguished from other species in the genus Australoheros by its longer lower jaw, upward pointing mouth and in having the shortest dorsal scale cover and the fewest scales on the dorsal and anal fins. Most specimens, 80% of fish, have four abdominal bars while these are present in only half of the individuals of its congeners. They normally attain 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length but males have been recorded at 19.5 centimetres (7.7 in) [4] The colour varies from brassy yellow through to greenish and even black and it is normally marked with a number of dark transverse bands. [5] The males are larger than the females with larger fins. [6]
Australoheros facetus has a native range in the Río de la Plata Basin in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and in the coastal drainages of Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina. [4] [7] It has been introduced and established to southern Iberia and Chile. It is also known to have been introduced to Germany and the Philippines but it failed to establish in Germany and its status in the Philippines is not known. [8]
Australoheros facetus is a freshwater species which occurs in creeks, rivers, swamps and lakes. It is a diurnal species which is omnivorous and rather opportunistic in its feeding habits. Its diet is known to include detritus and plants and it preys on small aquatic animals, [4] even small fish, but mainly molluscs and insect larvae. [5] It demonstrates an ability to tolerate low temperatures. [4] A. facetus has been recorded as a host of the trematode Centrocestus formosanus , an intestinal parasite of piscivorous birds and mammals, which is known to infect people in its native range which is Asia. [8]
Chameleon cichlids lay their eggs on a stone or piece of wood in the open and the eggs and fry are cared for by both parents for up to three weeks, [4] with the eggs hatching after 2–4 days. [5] In the rivers it has been introduced to in Europe it breeds spawns when the temperature climbs to more than 28–30 °C (82–86 °F). Pairs are formed for spawning and both sexes are territorial. [4] In Iberia breeding occurs in the months of April to June. [2]
The type specimen was collected by Charles Darwin during his time on board H.M.S. Beagle and the species was described as Chromis facetus by Leonard Jenyns in 1842 in The zoology of the voyage of the H. M. S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R. N., during the years 1832 to 1836. [3] The specific name means "well made" or "fine" and Jenyns does not explain why he chose this name. [9] The English common name, chameleon cichlid, seems to originate in Brazil where this species is called acara camaleao, the "chameleon fish", as it was one of the first fishes to be observed to have an ability to change its colour. The alternative common name, chanchito is Spanish and means "piglet" and refers to its pugnacious nature and habit of digging up plants. [3]
The chameleon cichlid is tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions and was one of the first species to be widespread in the hobby of fishkeeping [3] and they are easy to breed. [4]
Geophagus is a genus of cichlids that mainly live in South America as far south as Argentina and Uruguay, but a single species, G. crassilabris is from Panama. They are found in a wide range of freshwater habitats. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters and mostly feed by picking up mouthfuls of sediment to sift out food items such as invertebrates, plant material and detritus. The largest species reach up to 28 cm (11 in) in standard length. They are mostly kept in aquariums.
Maylandia lombardoi, is a 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae. This species is popular in the aquarium hobby where it is sold under a variety of common names including: lombardoi mbuna, kenyi mbuna or kennyi mbuna or kenyi cichlid. This species is sometimes seen in the genus Metriaclima owing to a dispute in which a minority of cichlid researchers do not consider Maylandia valid (see Maylandia for discussion. The specific name honours the exotic fish dealer John Lombardo.
Nanochromis transvestitus is a sexually dimorphic cichlid endemic to Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where they live at a depth of around 1 metre (3.3 ft). It feeds on small benthic invertebrates. This species reaches a length of 3.4 centimetres (1.3 in) SL. Unusually for cichlids, it is the female, not the male, that is the most colourful. The female has a vertical black and white banding on her anal and caudual fins, with a bright red abdomen. The male, by contrast, is grayish in colour. Like many cichlids, the male does, however, have longer anal and caudal fins. The fish are egg layers and make a nest in the substrate in which to lay their eggs. This species is particularly threatened by the practice of using mosquito netting to catch fish out of the lake as material with holes that small catches every species of fish in the lake regardless of size. The specific name is a derived from the Latin trans meaning "cross" or "over" and vestitus meaning "clothed", a reference to the reversal of the normal sexual dimorphism in that this species has drabber males and more colourful females.
Australoheros is a fish genus in the cichlid family. Most are restricted to rivers and streams in southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina, but at least one species is also found in lakes and swamps. This genus was erected after a taxonomic revision in 2006. These are relatively small cichlids that typically do not surpass 10–15 centimetres (4–6 in) in length, although A. facetus reaches about 20 cm (8 in).
The threadfin acara, also known as Heckel's thread-finned acara, is a South American species of cichlid fish. It is the only member of the genus Acarichthys and is native to rivers in the Amazon and Essequibo basins in tropical South America, and has become established in southeastern Asia. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.
Nimbochromis livingstonii, Livingston's cichlid or (locally) kalingono, is a freshwater mouthbrooding cichlid native to Lake Malawi, an African Rift Lake. It is also found in the upper Shire River and Lake Malombe. They are found in inshore areas of the lake over sandy substrates.
Aristochromis christyi is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae, which is endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa. It is the only known member of its genus.
Lestradea is a genus of East African cichlids from the Lake Tanganyikan endemic tribe Ectodini.
Limnotilapia dardennii, the latticed cichlid, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where it prefers rocky areas near the coast. It may also be found in the aquarium trade. This species is currently the only known member of its genus.
Protomelas kirkii is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi where it is most commonly found in areas vegetated with Vallisneria. This species can reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) TL. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Pseudotropheus demasoni is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi where it is only known from the Pombo Rocks in Tanzanian waters. This species can potentially reach a maximum length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) SL. It is now commonly found in the aquarium trade.
The redbreast tilapia is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found widely in the southern half of Africa. Its natural habitats are freshwater lakes and freshwater marshes. It is known as the redbreast kurper in South Africa.
Chromidotilapia guntheri, or Günther's mouthbrooder, is a cichlid from Africa. It was previously considered to consist of two subspecies, the common C. g. guntheri ranges from Liberia to Equatorial Guinea and Niger, and the critically endangered C. g. loennbergi which was thought to be restricted to Lake Barombi-ba-Kotto, a small crater lake in Cameroon but these subspecies are not supported by subsequent authorities. The species is noted for being a biparental mouthbrooder. Eggs are laid on a flat open surface and taken in the parents' mouth. Unlike many mouthbrooding cichlid species, both parents participate in the mouthbrooding.
Tilapia sparrmanii, the banded tilapia, or vlei kurper, is a widespread and adaptable cichlid fish that is found in warmer freshwater habitats of southern Africa. They prefer water with ample plant cover, and occur naturally as far north as DR Congo and Tanzania. They have been introduced locally in the northern hemisphere. Younger banded tilapia feed on crustaceans and insect larvae, while the adults feed on terrestrial and aquatic plants and other debris. They undertake local migrations and may shoal before and during spawning time. They guard their own eggs, and although they may move eggs or fry in the mouth, they are not known to be actual mouthbrooders like several other tilapia species. This species can reach a length of 23.5 centimetres (9.3 in) TL and is an important foodfish.
The ocean whitefish, also known as the ocean tilefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a tilefish belonging to the family Malacanthidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Enigmatochromis lucanusi is a species of cichlid known only from the Foto River, an affluent of The Konkouré River near Fria, Guinea.
Andinoacara stalsbergi is a species of South American freshwater fish in the family Cichlidae. It was previously included in A. rivulatus, but was described as a separate species in 2009. The specific name honours the Norwegian aquarist Alf Stalsberg who collected the type of this species and who has had a “longstanding commitment to increase the knowledge about cichlid fishes”.
Xenotilapia papilio is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It is found on the western shore of the lake, between Tembwe (Deux) and Kanoni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It prefers deeper, rocky habitats, especially where the rocks are covered with sand, at depths from 3–40 m (9.8–131.2 ft).
Hemichromis letourneuxi is a species of cichlid which is native to West Africa and is popular in the aquarium hobby and it has been introduced to the Caribbean and the south-east United States where it is invasive.
Crenicichla scottii is a species of cichlid native to South America. It is found in the middle and lower parts of the Uruguay River drainage in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. This species reaches a length of 16.9 cm (6.7 in).