| Batrochoglanis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Batrochoglanis vilosus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Pseudopimelodidae |
| Genus: | Batrochoglanis Gill, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| Pimelodus raninus Valenciennes 1840 | |
Batrochoglanis is a small genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Pseudopimelodidae.
There are currently five recognized species in this genus: [1]
Batrochoglanis species are known and distributed throughout the Amazon basin, rivers of the Ecuadorian and Colombian Pacific coast, the northern region of South America, and the Paraguay River basin. [2] B. acanthochiroides is distributed in the Catatumbo River basin of the Maracaibo basin. [3] B. melanurus is only known from its type locality in the Paraguay River basin of Brazil. [2] B. raninus is found in the Amazon River basin, Guyana, and French Guiana. [4] B. transmontanus originates from Baudó, San Juan, Patía and Durango river basins. [5] B. villosus is found in the Demerara River of the Essequibo basin, Orinoco, and Amazon River basins. [5]
Species of this genus have rounded, wider than deep bodies; large heads, rounded in dorsal view; pelvic fins originating at vertical line through the end of the dorsal fin; short caudal peduncles, with caudal fin procurrent rays close to adipose and anal fins; emarginated caudal fins, with rounded lobes, or completely rounded; incomplete lateral lines, sometimes surpassing the adipose-fin end, but never reaching the caudal fin. [2]
Three color patterns of the caudal fin in Batrochoglanis species are known. The first pattern, in B. raninus, B. transmontanus and B. acanthochiroides, is a light caudal fin, with a dark band on the posterior third. The second pattern, in B. villosus, is a light caudal fin, with dark dots irregularly distributed. The third pattern, found in B. melanurus, has the caudal fin completely dark. The coloration pattern is useful for separating species, but apparently does not allow inferences about phylogenetic relationships to be safely made, since this character is widespread in this family. [2]
B. acanthochiroides, the largest species, grows to 80.0 centimetres (31 in) TL. [3] B. melanurus has a maximum length of 13.7 cm (5.39 in) SL. [2] B. raninus reaches a length of 20.0 (7.87 in) SL. [4] B. transmontanus grows to a length of 25.0 cm (9.84 in) TL. [5] B. villosus reaches a length of 14.8 cm (5.83 in) TL. [6]
B. transmontanus is recorded to live in rivers. [6] B. raninus commonly occurs in creeks as well as in rivers. It is found in very shady, deep zones of rivers where the current is slow, the bottom is shady, and the gravel is covered with plant debris. During the day, B. raninus lies hidden under branches or rocks. It hunts by stalking, swallowing prey within its range. When young, B. raninus feeds on micro-crustaceans and aquatic insect larvae, then shifts its diet to fishes of notable size. [4]
Vandellia is a genus of catfishes native to South America. The species in this genus are the most well-known of the parasitic catfishes also known as candiru, known for their alleged habit of entering the human urethra.
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The Pseudopimelodidae are a small family of catfishes known as the bumblebee catfishes or dwarf marbled catfishes. Some of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
Microglanis is a genus of fish in the family Pseudopimelodidae native to South America. This genus has the widest distribution within its family, with species ranging from the Guianas to Venezuela; western slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru to the Río de La Plata basin in Argentina. They occur eastward to the Orinoco and Amazon basins. It is also present in the eastern coastal rivers of Brazil.
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Steindachneridion is a genus of South American pimelodid catfish.
Batasio is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia.
Cruciglanis is a genus of catfish of the family Pseudopimelodidae. It contains a single recognized species, Cruciglanis pacifici.
Leiarius is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Most of the genus' species are found in the aquarium hobby as ornamental fish.
Bagarius is an Asian genus of catfishes of the family Sisoridae. It includes five to six extant species and potentially one extinct fossil species, B. gigas.
Sisor is a genus of catfishes native to Asia.
Pseudexostoma is a genus of fish in the family Sisoridae endemic to China. These species are restricted to the upper Salween and one upper branch of the Irrawaddy in China. P. brachysoma is known only from the middle and lower Nujiang River. P. yunnanensis is only known from the upper Dayinjiang. These rivers were once connected, but are now separated. Also, the environment and temperature of the Nujiang River became greatly different between the northern and southern areas, leading to speciation.
Parakysis is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes six species.
Breitensteinia is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes three species.
The Somalia catfish is a species of catfish in the family Bagridae. The Somalia catfish is native to the Jubba River in Somalia.
Bryconops melanurus, sometimes called the tail-light tetra, is a small species of freshwater fish from South America that primarily preys on insects. It lives in small schools and is an active swimmer, which means that it requires open space in its habitat. Nonetheless, it does not demonstrate a strong preference for any one biotope within its native range.
Bryconops allisoni is a species of freshwater fish known from the rivers of Brazil. It is a recent addition to the genus (2019), currently considered a member incertae sedis. Its name honors Antonio Machado-Allison, an ichthyologist responsible for a great deal of work on the genus Bryconops.