Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea. They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. They are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of known holothurian species worldwide is about 1,786, with the greatest number being in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred to as trepang, namako, bêche-de-mer, or balate. Sea cucumbers serve a useful role in the marine ecosystem as they help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter, after which bacteria can continue the decomposition process.
The Paraíba do Sul, or simply termed Paraíba, is a river in southeast Brazil. It flows 1,137 km (706 mi) west to northeast from its farthest source at the source of the river Paraitinga to the sea near Campos dos Goytacazes. The river receives its name when it meets the river Paraibuna at the Paraibuna dam.
Leporinus is a genus of fish in the family Anostomidae native to South America. The fossil species Leporinus scalabrinii, known from the late Miocene of Entre Ríos in Argentina, has only recently been added to this genus after being misidentified as a species of primate under the name Arrhinolemur scalabrinii for over 100 years.
Thalassodromeus is a genus of pterosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the Early Cretaceous period, about a hundred million years ago. The original skull, discovered in 1983 in the Araripe Basin of northeastern Brazil, was collected in several pieces. In 2002, the skull was made the holotype specimen of Thalassodromeus sethi by palaeontologists Alexander Kellner and Diogenes de Almeida Campos. The generic name means "sea runner", and the specific name refers to the Egyptian god Seth due to its crest being supposedly reminiscent of Seth's crown. Other scholars have pointed out that the crest was instead similar to the crown of Amon. A jaw tip was assigned to T. sethi in 2005, became the basis of the new genus Banguela in 2015, and assigned back to Thalassodromeus as the species T. oberlii in 2018, though other researchers consider it a valid genus. Another species was described in 2015 based on a supposed crest fragment, but this was later shown to be part of a turtle shell.
Oreobates is a genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae. Most species were formerly in the genus Ischnocnema, but were moved to this revalidated genus following a 2006 revision. Its sister taxon is Lynchius.
Hemipsilichthys is a genus of catfishes belonging to the family Loricariidae. These wide-mouthed freshwater catfishes are restricted to southeast Brazil in the Paraíba do Sul, Perequê-Áçu and Taquari river basins. Hemipsilichthys, along with Delturus, form a clade (Delturinae). In these two genera, members have a ridge behind their dorsal fin and an adipose fin membrane. However, in Hemipsilichthys, the dorsal fin membrane and most anterior plate of the adipose fin do not touch, while they do in Delturus.
Hemiancistrus is a genus of suckermouth armored catfishes. These species are native to South America. The taxonomy of this genus is complex and unclear, and major work has to be done. Many of these fish are popular aquarium fish.
Iheringichthys is a small genus of long-whiskered catfish native to South America.
Pimelodus is a genus of fish in the family Pimelodidae native to Central and South America.
Tupandactylus is a genus of tapejarid pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil.
Sphagesaurus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid notosuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous of southwest São Paulo, southern Brazil.
Susisuchus is an extinct genus of neosuchian mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliform from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. Fossils have been found from the Nova Olinda Member of the Aptian-age Crato Formation in the Araripe and Lima Campos Basins of northeastern Brazil. Named in 2003, Susisuchus is the sole member of the family Susisuchidae, and is closely related to the clade Eusuchia, which includes living crocodilians. The type species is S. anatoceps, known from a single partial articulated skeleton that preserves some soft tissue. A second species, S. jaguaribensis, was named in 2009 from fragmentary remains.
Tapuiasaurus is a genus of titanosaur which lived during the Lower Cretaceous period in what is now Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Hasemania is a genus of characins endemic to Brazil, where only found in river basins that originate on the Brazilian Shield, ranging west to the Juruena system, north to the São Francisco system and south to the Paraná system. The individual species generally have quite small ranges and two, H. crenuchoides and H. piatan, are considered threatened by Brazil's Ministry of the Environment.
Caryonosuchus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid notosuchian known from the Late Cretaceous of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil.
Oneirodes is a genus of is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. These predatory, deep-sea fishes are found around the world. This is the type genus, and the most speciose genus, of the family Oneirodidae. They are sexually dimorphic but, like most taxa within their family, the small males are free living and are not sexual parasites on the larger females. Only the females are used to identify the species in this genus as no species specific charaxcters have been found for males.
Chiridotidae is a family of sea cucumbers found in the order Apodida. Within the family, there are 16 recognized genera all with different ranges of body types and functions. Sea cucumbers play a fundamental role in many marine ecosystems.
Megaleporinus is a genus of fish in the family Anostomidae native to South America.
Benthomangelia enceladus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.
