Bryconops inpai

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Bryconops inpai
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Iguanodectidae
Genus: Bryconops
Species:
B. inpai
Binomial name
Bryconops inpai
Knöppel, Junk & Géry, 1968

Bryconops inpai is a small freshwater fish native to the rivers of South America. It only lives in two particular river systems - the Casiquiare and Negro - which means that its range is restricted to the northern half of the continent. It has indistinct humeral spots (patches near the pectoral fins), and is bluish-silver in life, which is unusual for members of Bryconops; they are more often plain silver or greenish-silver.

Contents

Because it is native to water types with little endemic plant life, most of its diet originates outside of the river system. It primarily preys on insects, such as ants and termites, that fall from trees above the water, and sometimes gets the opportunity to prey on aquatic larvae. Specimens will eat plants if available, mostly seeds and flowers.

Description

Some of the first specimens reached a length of 9.78 cm (3.85 in) in standard length (without the tail fin included). [1] More often than not, however, B. inpai reaches a maximum of 10 cm (3.9 in) in total length (with the tail fin included). [2] This places it slightly above the modal length of Bryconops as a genus (about 7 to 8 cm standard length, 2.1 to 3.8 inches, tail fin not measured). [3] The body is somewhat deep in comparison to related species, similar to B. marabaixo, B. munduruku, and B. cyrtogaster. [4]

Its adipose fin is entirely black, and its caudal fin is dusky, lacking any marks on either lobe. [5] [6] Like many other members of Bryconops, it has two humeral spots near each pectoral fin, though this nonetheless allows it to be differentiated from congeners with one or no spots. [7] Overall, its scales are a bluish-silver (as opposed to plain silver or greenish-silver), which is another trait that sets it apart from other Bryconops. [1] A study in 1993 (Chernoff, Buckup, Machado-Allison, and Royero) noted a few different color patterns in gathered specimens of B. inpai, which points to the possibility of multiple species currently considered synonymous, but further research on the subject has not been done. [8]

Taxonomy

Since its description by Hans-armin Knöppel, Wolfgang Junk, and Jacques Géry in 1968, B. inpai has been considered a member of the subgenus Creatochanes. [1] While Creatochanes itself was once considered a separate genus all on its own, it has since been synonymized with Bryconops and is now considered a subgenus. [9] The high likelihood of such an occurrence was addressed in the original paper describing B. inpai, which is why it was designated as such in the first place. [1]

Bryconops inpai is in the family Iguanodectidae, which is a fairly recent revival (2011) from the work of Carl Eigenmann. [10] Previously, the genus Bryconops was considered a member of the family Characidae, and several resources still list it as such (like ADW and ITIS); [11] [12] however, its current placement is in Iguanodectidae, with Piabucus and Iguanodectes . [2] [13] [14] As such, B. inpai is considered an Iguanodectid fish.

Habitat and ecology

Bryconops inpai is endemic to the Casiquiare and Negro rivers of South America, which are both blackwater rivers. As is the case with many other members of Bryconops, this fondness for a blackwater habitat indicates that B. inpai does not have high-oxygen needs. Blackwater rivers are low in oxygen due to the fact that microbes use much of the available dissolved oxygen in the process of decay, which is what releases tannins into the water and gives it the characteristic color. [15] [16]

Other members of Bryconops found in the Rio Negro include B. disruptus and B. humeralis , the latter of which is also found in the Casiquiare. [17] [18]

Diet

Bryconops inpai's native range is made up of rivers with very little endemic plant life, which makes it inhospitable to many other species. [19] As such, B. inpai's diet largely consists of terrestrial insects that are washed into the river or fall in from trees hanging above. [1] This is in line with much of the rest of the genus, which is made up mostly of invertivores. [20] B. inpai also takes supplemental plant matter, largely in the form of flowers and seeds (which is also not uncommon in Bryconops). [1] [20]

Conservation status

Bryconops inpai has not been evaluated by the IUCN. [2] However, its type locality (where it was first discovered) is within a protected region of the Amazon, the Ducke Reserve, and as such it has at least a small portion of territory under surveillance. [1] Nonetheless, the Rio Negro - as with many other rivers - is under threat from environmental hazards as a result of illegal gold mining in South America, which is a booming industry despite its dangers both to participants and to the environment. [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Bryconops</i> Genus of fishes

Bryconops is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae from South America. It consists of small fish, all under half-a-foot long, with slender bodies and silvery scales, though there is some mild color variation. Several species can be identified by way of a humeral patch, and others have a reddish ocellus, or eyespot, on one or both lobes of the dorsal fin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iguanodectidae</span> Family of fish

Iguanodectidae is a family of freshwater fish in the order Characiformes that lives in South America. It is home to the subfamily Iguanodectinae and the monotypic Bryconops clade. Several species in the family, such as the green line lizard tetra, the tailspot tetra, and the orangefin tetra, are sometimes taken as aquarium fish.

<i>Bryconops alburnoides</i> Species of fish

Bryconops alburnoides is a small freshwater fish, approximately 6 inches long at its largest, that lives in the rivers of South America. It has a slender body, with a yellowish dorsal fin and yellow-tinged back scales that fade into silver on its belly. It is largely an insectivore that picks land-dwelling insects from the riverbanks, though it eats much more whenever rain washes prey into the water.

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

The tailspot tetra is a freshwater fish that lives in the coastal river regions of upper South America. Both its common and scientific names reference the distinct spot of color present on the tail fin, which is one of its defining characteristics. It is a small fish, reaching 4.8 in at its longest. Despite its small size, it is an active swimmer, with a preference for fast-flowing waters.

Bryconops colanegra is a small, slender-bodied species of freshwater fish from South America, about 3.5 in long. It has a black tail fin that bears hints of red, and its scales are dark along the back, transitioning to a silver belly. It is endemic to a single river system in Venezuela, the Rio Caroní.

<i>Bryconops colaroja</i> Species of fish

Bryconops colaroja is a small species of fish endemic to tributaries and creeks of the Cuyuni River basin in Venezuela. The specific epithet "colaroja" means "red tailed", and it gets this name from its most distinctive feature - a deep red caudal fin, largely unique amongst members of its genus.

<i>Bryconops collettei</i> Species of fish

Bryconops collettei is a small freshwater fish from the rivers of South America. It is mostly silvery, with notable green iridescence on its sides, and a diffuse ocellus (eyespot) on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. Before its distinction as a separate species, specimens of B. collettei were misidentified as specimens of Bryconops caudomaculatus due to several morphological similarities, including a caudal ocellus and generally similar fin coloration.

<i>Bryconops cyrtogaster</i> Species of fish

Bryconops cyrtogaster is a midsize species of freshwater fish found in the Oyapock river in French Guiana and Brazil. It is overall silver, with an indistinct dark patch at the base of the tail fin that spreads onto the fin rays slightly. Originally described in 1926 under a different baisonym, it was the subject of a redescription in June 2020.

Bryconops disruptus is a small freshwater fish of the family Iguanodectidae. It is only found in the Rio Negro in South America. Like the rest of the genus Bryconops, B. disruptus is silvery in color, with a relatively deep chest and a notable set of teeth. The specific epithet "disruptus" refers to the incomplete lateral line.

Bryconops durbinae, sometimes listed under the name Bryconops durbini, is a small species of freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae. It is the smallest species of the genus Bryconops, and is endemic to the Tapajós river basin in Brazil.

<i>Bryconops giacopinii</i> Species of fish

Bryconops giacopinii is a mid-sized species of freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae. It is the largest member of the genus Bryconops, and is therefore difficult to confuse with any of its congeners. With a diet that consists largely of land-dwelling insects, it serves as an important link between the terrestrial and aquatic aspects of its native range.

Bryconops humeralis is a small freshwater fish distributed across northern South America. The name "humeralis" means "relating to the shoulder", in reference to the distinct humeral patches that the fish sports. It is slightly longer than average in terms of the genus Bryconops, though still firmly within the standard range, and is slightly more slender than is usual for its congeners.

Bryconops imitator is a small freshwater fish that lives in the rivers of South America. It is a small, silvery fish with a bright red tail fin that is known to eat invertebrates, like insects and freshwater zooplankton.

<i>Bryconops magoi</i> Species of fish

Bryconops magoi is a small species of fish from South America. It is only found in Venezuela, along with sister species Bryconops collettei. Its tail-fin markings help to differentiate it from various congeners, as does its fairly restricted range. It is most closely related to B. collettei and Bryconops caudomaculatus, and it was once considered synonymous with the latter; specimens of B. magoi and B. collettei both were routinely misidentified as B. caudomaculatus before being given species distinction.

<i>Bryconops melanurus</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Bryconops piracolina</i> Species of fish

Bryconops piracolina is a small fish that inhabits the waters of Brazil. It is slender and silvery in color, like many fish in Bryconops, but can be distinguished from other members by way of its dorsal fin, which has a black patch of color extending up from the fin-base; congeners usually have light pigment in the dorsal fin, or a brighter color.

Bryconops vibex is a small freshwater fish from the rivers of Venezuela, known solely from the Rio Cataniapo. The body is slender, though with an element of sturdiness, and it has one humeral spot by each pectoral fin. It bears visual similarities to several congeners, but can be differentiated by way of many factors.

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.

Bryconops marabaixo is a small freshwater fish from the lower Amazon basin, native to the Rio Jari. It is small and silvery, with a dark-gray back, and its fins are mostly clear, though the caudal fin has a dark stripe on the lower margin of the dorsal lobe, and a spot of red pigment just above that. Like many other members of Bryconops, it has a humeral spot, which is a mark near each pectoral fin.

Bryconops sapezal is a small freshwater fish native to the Rio Tapajós basin of Brazil. It is one of the more recent additions to its genus, described in 2018, and has a name that means "covered in sapê", or thatching. This originates from the Sapezal municipality of Mato Grosso, Brazil, which is type locality of B. sapezal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Knöppel, Hans-armin; Junk, Wolfgang; Géry, Jacques (January 1968). "Bryconops (Creatochanes) Inpai, A New Characoid Fish From The Central Amazon Region, With A Review Of The Genus Bryconops". Amazoniana. 1 (3): 231–246. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Bryconops inpai" in FishBase . October 2022 version.
  3. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2022). Species of Bryconops in FishBase . October 2022 version.
  4. ↑ Silva‐Oliveira, Cárlison; Moreira, Cristiano R.; Lima, Flávio C. T.; Py‐Daniel, Lúcia Rapp (September 2020). "The true identity of Bryconops cyrtogaster (Norman), and description of a new species of Bryconops Kner (Characiformes: Iguanodectidae) from the Rio Jari, lower Amazon basin". Journal of Fish Biology. 97 (3): 860–868. doi:10.1111/jfb.14445. PMID   32584438. S2CID   220060299 . Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Wingert, Juliana M.; Malabarba, Luiz R. (2011). "A new species of Bryconops (Teleostei: Characidae) from the rio Madeira basin, Northern Brazil". Neotropical Ichthyology. 9 (3): 471–476. doi: 10.1590/S1679-62252011000300002 . hdl: 10183/81588 . ISSN   1679-6225.
  6. ↑ Chernoff, Barry; Machado-Allison, Antonio (13 December 2005). "Bryconops magoi and Bryconops collettei (Characiformes: Characidae), two new freshwater fish species from Venezuela, with comments on B. caudomaculatus (Günther)". Zootaxa. 1094 (1): 23. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1094.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334 – via Biotaxa.
  7. ↑ Silva-Oliveira, Cárlison; Canto, André Luiz C.; Ribeiro, Frank Raynner V. (30 July 2015). "Bryconops munduruku (Characiformes: Characidae), a new species of fish from the lower Tapajós River basin, Brazil". Zootaxa. 3994 (1): 133–141. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3994.1.7. PMID   26250264 – via Biotaxa.
  8. ↑ Chernoff, Barry; Buckup, Paulo Andreas; Machado-Allison, Antonio; Royero, Ramiro (March 1993). "Las especies del genero Bryconops Kner, 1858 en Venezuela (Teleostei, Characiformes)". Venezuelan Biological Act. 14 (3): 1–20. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Chernoff, Barry; Machado-Allison, Antonio (23 February 2018). "Bryconops colaroja and B. colanegra, two new species from the Cuyuni and Caroni drainages of South America (Teleostei: Characidae)". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 10 (4): 355–370. hdl:10872/17856 . Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Oliveira, Claudio; Avelino, Gleisy S.; Abe, Kelly T.; Mariguela, Tatiane C.; Benine, Ricardo C.; Ortí, Guillermo; Vari, Richard P.; Corrêa e Castro, Ricardo M. (December 2011). "Phylogenetic relationships within the speciose family Characidae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Characiformes) based on multilocus analysis and extensive ingroup sampling". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 11 (1): 275. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-275 . PMC   3190395 . PMID   21943181.
  11. ↑ Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C. S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G. S.; Dewey, T. A. "Bryconops inpai Classification". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bryconops inpai (Knöppel, Junk and Géry, 1968)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  13. ↑ Rees, Tony (31 December 2011). "IRMNG - Bryconops inpai (Knöppel, Junk and Géry, 1968)". International Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  14. ↑ Bailly, Nicolas (10 July 2017). "WoRMS taxon details - Bryconops inpai (Knöppel, Junk and Géry, 1968)". World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  15. ↑ Mehring, Andrew S.; Kuehn, Kevin A.; Tant, Cynthia J.; Pringle, Catherine M.; Lowrance, R. Richard; Vellidis, George (2014). "Contribution of surface leaf-litter breakdown and forest composition to benthic oxygen demand and ecosystem respiration in a South Georgia blackwater river". Freshwater Science. 33 (2): 377–389. doi: 10.1086/675507 . S2CID   85315129.
  16. ↑ "Hypoxic blackwater events and water quality". Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Australian Government. 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Bryconops disruptus" in FishBase . October 2022 version.
  18. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Bryconops humeralis" in FishBase . October 2022 version.
  19. ↑ Küchler, Ivo L.; Miekeley, Norbert; Forsberg, Bruce R. (June 2000). "A contribution to the chemical characterization of rivers in the Rio Negro Basin, Brazil". Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. 11 (3): 286–292. doi: 10.1590/S0103-50532000000300015 .
  20. 1 2 Echevarría, Gabriela; González, Nirson (November 2018). "Fish taxonomic and functional diversity in mesohabitats of the River Kakada, Caura National Park, Venezuela". Nature Conservation Research. 3 (Suppl. 2). doi: 10.24189/ncr.2018.048 . Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  21. ↑ Klein, David (6 May 2022). "Interpol: Illegal Gold Mining is Devastating Latin America". OCCRP. Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "Illegal Gold Mining". USAID. United States Agency for International Development. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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