Bedotiinae

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Bedotiinae
Bedotia geayi 1.jpg
Bedotia madagascariensis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Atheriniformes
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Subfamily: Bedotiinae
Regan, 1903
Genera

Bedotia
Rheocles

Bedotiinae are a subfamily of the rainbowfish family Melanotaeniidae, commonly known as the Madagascar rainbowfish, Madagascan rainbowfish, or Malagasy rainbowfish due to their endemism to Madagascar. It includes two genera, Bedotia and Rheocles.

Contents

Anatomy and morphology

As the common name rainbowfish implies, they are generally colorful fishes. Bedotiins are elongated, laterally compressed, and rarely exceed 100 mm in standard length. Bedotiins exhibit varying degrees of sexual dimorphism, which is quite pronounced in some species. [1] The anal fin spine is weak or absent. [2]

Distribution

The entire family of Bedotiidae is endemic to Madagascar. [1] Bedotiins occur exclusively in freshwater environments and are distributed in small to medium-sized forested rivers and streams, occasionally in swamps and marshes, spanning nearly the entire eastern slope of Madagascar (R. derhami is recorded from a westward draining Sofia River basin in the northeast of the island). [1] [3]

Bedotiin fishes are under severe threat because of rapid deforestation and habitat modification throughout most of their range. Because Bedotia and Rheocles are generally the first to exhibit population declines or disappear from areas where habitat is moderately to highly disturbed or degraded, they are reliable indicators of ecosystem health and stability. [4]

Taxonomy

This subfamily includes the two genera Bedotia and Rheocles, with at least 16 species. [2] This subfamily is monophyletic. [1] [5] This group is considered by Nelson, 2016 Fishes of the World to be a subfamily of the family Melanotaeniidae. [6] When treated as a family it has been placed by some authorities in a suborder Melanotaenioidei which includes the sister groups Bedotiidae and Melanotaeniidae, as well as Pseudomugilidae (including Telmatherininae). [1] The sister-group relationship between these taxa is most parsimoniously explained by the break-up of Gondwana. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atheriniformes</span> Order of fishes

The Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. The order includes at least 354 species. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbowfish</span> Family of fishes

The rainbowfish or Melanotaeniidae is a family of small, colourful freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, Sulawesi and Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of Madagascar</span>

The fauna of Madagascar is a part of the wildlife of Madagascar.

<i>Bedotia</i> Genus of fishes

Bedotia is a genus of the family Bedotiidae of fishes endemic to Madagascar.

Rheocles is a genus of Madagascar rainbowfish. Rheocles has a restricted distribution, being found only in certain forested freshwater habitats in the central and eastern highlands of Madagascar including the Nosivolo River. The genus appears to feed almost exclusively on allochthonous material, primarily insects falling onto the water surface.

Gogo is a small genus of catfishes of the family Anchariidae. It includes four species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zona</span> Species of fish

The red-tailed silverside, or zona is a species of Madagascar rainbowfish endemic to the Mananjary River drainage in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. It has often been confused with the related B. madagascariensis, which is common in the aquarium trade. In addition to meristics, the two can be separated by the exact colour pattern on their tail fin and the distinct red spot on the lower jaw of breeding male B. geayi. B. geayi was described in 1907 by Jacques Pellegrin from a type collected by the pharmacist and natural history collector Martin François Geay (1859-1910), who Pellegrin honoured with its specific name.

Bedotia masoala is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Bedotiinae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species was described in 2001 by John S. Sparks from a type locality of the Ankavanana River on the Masoala Peninsula in Antalaha District.

Bedotia alveyi, the Makira rainbowfish, is a species of Madagascar rainbowfish from rivers and streams in the Makira region of Madagascar where it occurs in the tributaries of the Antainambalana and Vohimaro rivers. This species was described in 2010 by Christopher C. Jones, Leo Smith and John S. Sparks from types collected from a small stream north of Ambodivoankongy, in a tributary of the Antainambalana River in Toamasina Province. The specific name honours Mark Alvey of the Field Museum in Chicago.

Bedotia albomarginata is a species of Madagascar rainbowfish from the Mananara and Reinana river basins in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species was described by John Sparks and Leila Rush in 2005 from types collected near the towns of Vondrozo and Vevembe from the Sahapindra River, which is a tributary of the Mananara River, in Fianarantsoa Province.

Cairnsichthys is a genus of rainbowfishes from the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. The genus is endemic to freshwater streams in eastern Queensland in north eastern Australia. The genus was designated as a monotypic genus in 1928 by John T. Nichols and Henry C. Raven but in 2018 a second species was assigned to the genus.

<i>Paretroplus</i> Genus of fishes

Paretroplus is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island. Only P. polyactis is found in the southern half of Madagascar and only P. polyactis and P. gymnopreopercularis are found in eastern drainages. Most are restricted to freshwater, but at least P. polyactis and P. maromandia can also be seen in brackish habitats.

Ptychochromis loisellei is a species of cichlid from the Mahanara River basin north of Sambava in northeastern Madagascar. It remains common within its small range, but it is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. It reaches about 11.9 centimetres (4.7 in). The similar named Paretroplus loisellei is also restricted to the Mahanara River basin. The specific name honours Paul V. Loiselle, Emeritus Curator of Freshwater Fishes at the New York Aquarium and a researcher in, and campaigner for the conservation of, the freshwater fish of Madagascar.

Rheocles derhami is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Bedotiinae, the Madagascar rainbowfishes. It is endemic to the Ambalona River and Mangarahar River in Madagascar. Its natural habitat is rivers. It was described by Melanie Stiassny and Damaris Rodriguez in 1992 and was named in honour of the Swiss conservationist Patrick De Rham.

Rheocles pellegrini is a species of rainbowfish from the subfamily Bedotiinae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is rivers. This species was described by John Treadwell Nichols and Francesca Raimonde La Monte in 1931 from a type collected "one day west of Andapa." by Austin L. Rand and P. A. DuMont who were part of the "Archbold Expedition" to Madagascar of 1929–1931. R. pellegrini was not then recorded until the 21st Century when populations were found in the area of the type locality. The specific name honours the French ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944).

Rheocles vatosoa is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Bedotiinae, the Madagascar rainbowfishes. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is the Lokoho River basin. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Rheocles wrightae, is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Bedotiinae, the Madagascar rainbowfishes. It is endemic to Madagascar where its occurs in the Manambola River, near Anosibe. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was described by Melanie Stiassny in 1990 from a type locality given as "Sandrangato River, south of Moramanga". The specific name honours the American primatologist Patricia Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gobiiformes</span> Order of fishes

The Gobiiformes are an order of fish that includes the gobies and their relatives. The order, which was previously considered a suborder of Perciformes, is made up of about 2,211 species that are divided between seven families. Phylogenetic relationships of the Gobiiformes have been elucidated using molecular data. Gobiiforms are primarily small species that live in marine water, but roughly 10% of these species inhabit fresh water. This order is composed chiefly of benthic or burrowing species; like many other benthic fishes, most gobiiforms do not have a gas bladder or any other means of controlling their buoyancy in water, so they must spend most of their time on or near the bottom. Gobiiformes means "goby-like".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ptychochrominae</span> Subfamily of fishes

The Ptychochrominae are a subfamily in the cichlid family of fish. It includes about 14 species. They are restricted to lakes and rivers in Madagascar, and the majority are threatened. Most cichlid genera native to Madagascar are included in this subfamily; the only exceptions are Paretroplus and Paratilapia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanotaeniinae</span> Subfamily of fishes

Melanotaeniinae the Australian rainbowfishes is a subfamily of the rainbowfishes of the family Melanotaeniidae. They are a group of small, colourful, freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, islands in Cenderawasih Bay the Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia and in Madagascar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sparks, John S.; Smith, W. Leo (2004). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 33 (3): 719–734. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.07.002. PMID   15522799.
  2. 1 2 Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN   0-471-25031-7. OCLC   224053746.
  3. Sparks, John S.; Rush, Leila M. R. (2005). "A new rainbowfish (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei: Bedotiidae) from the southeastern highlands of Madagascar, with comments on the biogeography of Bedotia" (PDF). Zootaxa . 1051: 39–54. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1051.1.4.
  4. Sparks, John S.; Schaefer, S. A. (2001). Schaefer, S. A. (ed.). "Bedotia masoala: A New Species of Atherinoid Rainbowfish (Teleostei: Bedotiidae) from the Masoala Peninsula, Northeastern Madagascar". Copeia . 2001 (2): 482–489. doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2001)001[0482:BMANSO]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   86218849.
  5. Stiassny, Melanie L. J. (August 7, 1990). "Notes on the Anatomy and Relationships of the Bedotiid Fishes of Madagascar, with a Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Rheocles (Atherinomorpha: Bedotiidae)" (PDF) (2979): 1–33.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 358–363. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.