| Cheirodon australis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Characidae |
| Genus: | Cheirodon |
| Species: | C. australis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cheirodon australis C. H. Eigenmann, 1928 | |
Cheirodon australis is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a characin, belonging to the family Characidae. This fish is found in southern Chile.
Cheirodon australis was first formally described in 1928 by the German-born American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann with its type locality given as Puerto Varas in Chile. [2] The genus Cheirodon is classified in the subfamily Cheirodontinae [3] which is classified within the family Characidae in the order Characiformes. [4]
Cheirodon australis is classified in the genus Cheirodon, a name which is a combination of the Greek cheír, which means "hand", and "odon", meaning tooth. This refers to the teeth of the type species of the genus, C. pisciculus , which are dilated at their tips with at least 5 subconoical points on each tooth, with the middle point being longer than the others, showing a resemblance to a hand. The specific name, australis, means "of the south", as this was thought to be the most southerly species in the Characidae, although this is actually the naked characin (Gymnocharacinus bergi). [5]
Cheirodon australis has a maximum total length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in). The anal fin has between 12 and 18 soft rays. [6]
Cheirodon australis is endemic to Chile where it occurs from the Valdivia Basin south to Chiloé Island between 39°S and 42°S. This is a common species in pools with a slow or almost no current such as the backwaters of rivers and shoreline areas of lakes where there are aquatic macrophytes. Only larger adults are found in areas with a swifter current. [1]
