| Chalceus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chalceus macrolepidotus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Chalceidae |
| Genus: | Chalceus G. Cuvier, 1818 |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Chalceus is a genus of fish that inhabits freshwater habitats in South America. Members can be found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as in the Guianas and various tributaries of the former. [2] It is the sole representative of the family Chalceidae.
Members of the genus Chalceus typically reach a length of 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in), but are up to about 30 cm (12 in). [3] They have an elongated shape, and relatively large scales. Their fins are a variety of colors, most commonly red, yellow, or hyaline, with a red or pink tail being the most common. [4]
Chalceus was previously classified as a member of the family Characidae, and is still listed there by some authorities (like GBIF and ITIS). [5] However, recent phylogenetic and morphological analysis has prompted a move into the family Chalceidae, which is currently home only to the genus Chalceus (making it monotypic). [6] [7] This move was also done in order to keep the family Charadicae monophyletic. [6]
Currently, there are eight accepted species in the genus Chalceus. [3] [1] In alphabetical order, they are:
NB: Those described by Jardine are currently Species inquirenda.
The genus Chalceus was established by Georges Cuvier in the year 1818 when he described the pinktail chalceus (C. marcolepidotus) as a new species in a new genus. [8] By way of monotypy, the pinktail became the type species therein. [9] The next established species was the tucan fish, C. erythrurus, which was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1870, though he first classified it in the genus Plethodectes with the full name Plethodectes erythrurus. [10] In 1872, he moved it to Chalceus. [11]
A full redescription of the genus occurred in the year 2004, undertaken by Brazilian biologists Angela M. Zanata and Mônica Toledo-Piza, which resulted in the nomination of the other three species. [12]
The name Chalceus is Greek in origin and comes from the word chalkos, which means copper. [13] [14] This was given by Cuvier because he observed that the original specimen's scales were "sometimes golden" when preserved in alcohol. [8] [15]
Characiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, more than 2000 different species are described, including the well-known piranha and tetras.
Characidae, the characids or characins is a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a by and large monophyletic group at family rank. To arrive there, this family has undergone much systematic and taxonomic change. Among those fishes that remain in the Characidae for the time being are the tetras, comprising the very similar genera Hemigrammus and Hyphessobrycon, as well as a few related forms such as the cave and neon tetras. Fish of this family are important as food and also include popular aquarium fish species.
Hyphessobrycon is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae. These species are among the fishes known as tetras. The genus is distributed in the Neotropical realm from southern Mexico to Río de la Plata in Argentina. Many of these species are native to South America; about six species are from Central America and a single species, H. compressus is from southern Mexico.
Astyanax is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. Some of these fish, like many of their relatives, are kept as aquarium pets and known collectively as tetras. With around 150 described species and new ones being described yearly, this genus is among the largest of the entire order; Hyphessobrycon also has more than 145 species and which one is larger at any one time depends on whether more species have been recently described in one or the other. The blind and colorless cave tetra of Mexico is a famous member of the genus, but its taxonomic position is disputed: Some recognize it as part of the Mexican tetra and this is supported by phylogenetic evidence, but others recognize the cave form as a separate species, A. jordani.
Priocharax is a genus of characins, very small freshwater fish from the Amazon and Orinoco basins in tropical South America.
Cynodontinae is a subfamily of tropical and subtropical South American fishes of the family Cynodontidae. They are characterized by an oblique mouth and very long distinct canines, which are used to capture and stab their prey, other fish that can be up to half the length of the cynodontine itself. They are not prized as food fish, but are important in subsistence and commercial fisheries. Hydrolycus are game fish, having been recently added to the International Game Fish Association in the fly and rod class. Cynodontid fish are also sometimes housed in aquaria.
Moenkhausia is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae native to tropical and subtropical South America. These are medium-sized tetras where the largest species only reach around 12 cm (4.7 in).
Acrobrycon is a genus of characin found in tropical South America.
Iguanodectes is a genus of freshwater fish found in tropical South America, with eight currently described species. They are all small tetras, none longer than 5 inches, and often have attractive silvery or striped scales, which makes them a target for the ornamental fish industry. Alongside the genus Piabucus, it is in the subfamily Iguanodectinae, which in turn is in the family Iguanodectidae. The genus Bryconops, which is also in Iguanodectidae, makes up a sister clade to Iguanodectinae.
Tetragonopterus is a genus of fish in the family Characidae native to South America.
Hydrolycus is a genus of large dogtooth characins from tropical South America, where found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas. The genus includes the largest dogtooth characins, reaching up to 1.17 m (3.8 ft) in length. They have long, pointed teeth used for spearing their prey, generally smaller fish. In a study of the stomachs of 45 individuals, most were empty, but among the remaining the prey fish were 15–50% of the length Hydrolycus itself.
Deuterodon pelecus is a species of characid fish from Brazil. It can be distinguished from other species by: its body depth ; its short and pointed snout smaller than the orbital diameter; and a reduced number of branched anal fin rays. D. pelecus also differs from members of its genus by its characteristic color pattern. It possesses a single humeral spot that is constricted to the region above the lateral line; at the same time it shows a conspicuous midlateral body stripe from opercle to the caudal fin base, an autapomorphy of this precise species. Other Deuterodon species have a humeral spot that is vertically or horizontally elongate and have the midlateral stripe becoming faint near that humeral spot. The species name is derived from the Greek pelekus, meaning "axe", referring to the pigmentation shape resulting from the adjoinment of the humeral spot with the midlateral stripe.
The pinktail chalceus, also called the pinktail characin, is a species of freshwater fish of the family Chalceidae found in South America. It is one of five fish in the genus Chalceus, and is the type species of the genus.
The tucan fish, also called the yellowfin chalceus, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Chalceidae. It is one of five species in the genus Chalceus, and was the second species to be described therein.
Chalceidae, the tucanfishes, is a family of freshwater fish first described by Henry Weed Fowler in the year 1958. It is a monotypic family, home only to the genus incertae sedisChalceus.
Chalceus epakros is a species of freshwater fish in the family Chalceidae, found in northern South America. It is a fairly recent addition to its genus, alongside the species C. guaporensis and C. spilogyros.
Chalceus guaporensis is a species of freshwater fish in the family Chalceidae that inhabits northern South America. Alongside C. epakros and C. spilogyros, it was added to the genus Chalceus in the year 2004.
Chalceus spilogyros, sometimes misspelled as Chalceus spilogyrus, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Chalceidae that inhabits northern South America. It is a relatively new member of the genus Chalceus, along with C. epakros and C. guaporensis.
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.
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.