Hepsetus odoe

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Hepsetus odoe
Hepsetus odoe.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Hepsetidae
Genus: Hepsetus
Species:
H. odoe
Binomial name
Hepsetus odoe
(Bloch, 1794) [2]
Synonyms
  • Salmo odoe Bloch, 1794
  • Hydrocyonoides odoe (Bloch, 1794)
  • Sarcodaces odoe (Bloch, 1794)
  • Xiphorhamphus odoe (Bloch, 1794)
  • Xiphorynchus odoe (Bloch, 1794)
  • Salmo fulvus Shaw, 1804
  • Hepsetus fulvus (Shaw, 1804)
  • Hepsetus akawo Decru, Vreven & Snoeks, 2012

Hepsetus odoe, the African pike characin, is a predatory freshwater characin belonging to the family Hepsetidae. It was formerly considered that there was a single species of Hepsetus pike characin but recent studies have led to the species being split and Hepsetus odoe sensu stricto is the west African representative of the group.

Contents

Taxonomy

Hepsetus odoe was first formally described as Salmo odoe in 1794 by the German naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch with its type locality given as the "coast of Guinea", likely Togo or southeastern Ghana. [3] This species is the type species of the genus Hepsetus and was formerly believed to the only species in the genus and widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, but studies in 2011–2013 have found that there are several species, and the true H. odoe is restricted to West and Central Africa from the Sassandra River, Ivory Coast, to the Kienké River, Cameroon (species elsewhere are now recognized as separate; H. cuvieri , H. kingsleyae , H. lineata and H. occidentalis ). [4] [5] [6] [7] The genus Hepsetus is the only genus classified within the family Hepsetidae, within the superfamily Alestoidea of the suborder Characoidei in the order Characiformes, the characins. [8]

Etymology

Hepsetus odoe has the genus name Hepsetus which was proposed by William John Swainson in 1838, Swanson did not explain the etymology of this name but it is most lilely derived from the ancient Greek hepsētós, a small fish, such as the anchovy, which is boiled for human consumption. This name, however, used for piscivorous fish resembling pikes, this may be an allusion to the Greek poet Archippus, who wrote: "An hepsetus fell in with an anchovy / And quick devoured him," and/or to the convergent South American characid Oligosarcus hepsetus . The specific name odoe is the local name for this species in Guinea, which appears to refer to its manu teeth. [9]

Description

Hepsetus odoe is an elongated fish with a pike-like body, however this species is a characin and the pike resemblance is due to convergent evolution. This species can reach up to about 28 cm (11 in) in length. [2] The back is normally dark brown or green while the belly is silver. The head is normally light green or brown with distinct dark brown or black stripes radiating out from the eye. The colour and pattern of adult fish is relatively stable but juveniles are more variable. [10]

Distribution

Hepsetus odoe is found in western sub-Saharan Africa, from the Sassandra River in the Côte d'Ivoire in the west to the Shari River in the Central African Republic in the east, and southwards up to the Kienke River in Cameroon. [2]

Biology

Hepsetus odoe prefers quiet and deep water, and may only live about five years. Spawning normally begins in August and continues until January. Although in some locations there is an extended spawning season which lasts until May. The eggs are laid in a bubble nest, which they then guard until the young have attached themselves to the bottom of the nest, at which stage the adults abandon the nest and their young. The nest breaks up about four days afterwards and the juveniles disperse to live in well-vegetated marginal habitats. [10]

Hepsetus odoe is piscivorous and preys on a variety of smaller fish. It is mainly diurnal and is an ambush predator, waiting among dense submerged or emergent vegetation until prey comes within range and the fish can lunge at it. The diet of Hepsetus odoe consists predominantly of cichlids and mormyrids; although smaller individuals have been recorded eating mochokid catfishes more than cichlids or mormyrids. [10] Hepsetus odoe prefers the upper courses of small rivers where the elongate tigerfish ( Hydrocynus forskahlii ) is absent or less abundant. [1] It uses weeds and vegetation along with its coloring to avoid detection. [10]

Human use

Hepsetus odoe is fished as game [11] and for human consumption and for the aquarium trade. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

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.

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

Characidae, the characids or characins, is a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is a historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a, by and large, monophyletic group. To arrive there, this family has undergone much systematic and taxonomic change. Among those fishes remaining in the Characidae currently 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 in several regions, and also constitute a large percentage of captive freshwater aquarium fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Albert Boulenger</span> Belgian-British zoologist

George Albert Boulenger was a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Boulenger was also an active botanist during the last 30 years of his life, especially in the study of roses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz Steindachner</span> Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist (1834–1919)

Franz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner described hundreds of new species of fish and dozens of new amphibians and reptiles. At least seven species of reptile have been named after him.

<i>Astatoreochromis</i> Genus of fishes

Astatoreochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to riverine habitats in East Africa. Tilapia bemini, usually placed in the tilapiines, may be rather close to this genus. However, extensive hybridization capabilities of African cichlids seriously confound analyses of phylogeny based on mtDNA, while morphological analyses tend to yield little information due to widespread parallel evolution.

<i>Hepsetus</i> Genus of fishes

Hepsetus is a genus of African fishes, the African pikes or African pike characins, in the order Characiformes. It is the sole genus in the family Hepsetidae. It was long believed that only a single widespread species existed, H. odoe, but studies in 2011–2013 have shown that this species is restricted to parts of West and Central Africa. The well-known species of southern Africa, including Kafue River, is Hepsetus cuvieri. These predatory fish reach up to 44 cm (17 in) in length.

<i>Hydrocynus</i> Genus of fishes

Hydrocynus is a genus of characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," native to Africa. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water") + κύων ("dog"). The genus contains five species, all commonly known as "African tigerfish" for their fierce predatory behaviour and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish. Hydrocynus are normally piscivorous, but H. vittatus is proven to prey on birds in flight.

<i>Brycinus</i> Genus of fishes

Brycinus is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Alestiidae. Like other "African characids", they were formerly included in the Characidae but are actually somewhat more distantly related Characiformes.

<i>Distichodus</i> Genus of fishes

Distichodus is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Distichodontidae found in Africa.

<i>Marcusenius</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Marcusenius is a genus of the elephantfish group native to Africa. Its members are highly diverse in size, with the smallest species reaching less than 15 cm (6 in) and the largest more than 1 m (3.3 ft).

<i>Paramormyrops</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Paramormyrops is a genus of elephantfish in the family Mormyridae from Africa.

Hollandichthys is a genus of characins endemic to rivers and streams in southern and southeastern Brazil from Rio Grande do Sul to Rio de Janeiro. These are small fish that reach up to 9.6 cm (3.8 in) in standard length. The currently recognized species in this genus are:

Hysteronotus megalostomus is a species of characin endemic to Brazil where it is found in the upper São Francisco River basin. This species is the only member of the genus Hysteronotus.

<i>Boulengerella</i> Genus of fishes

Boulengerella is a genus of pike-characins from tropical South America, found in the Amazon Basin, Orinoco, and rivers of the Guiana Shield. Boulengerella was named after the Belgian ichthyologist George Albert Boulenger. The currently described species are:

<i>Cichlidogyrus</i> Genus of flatworms

Cichlidogyrus is a genus of monopisthocotylean monogeneans in the family Ancyrocephalidae. The type-species of the genus is Cichlidogyrus arthracanthusPaperna, 1960, by original designation. All the species of the genus are parasites on the gills of fish, namely African Cichlidae, Nandidae and Cyprinodontidae.

<i>Hepsetus cuvieri</i> Species of fish

Hepsetus cuvieri, the African pike, Southern African pike or Kafue pike characin, is a predatory species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the monotypic family Hepsetidae, the African pike characins. This fish is found in southern Africa. It was formerly classified within the single widespread African species Hepsetus odoe but this has now been split into a number of valid species.

<i>Hydrocynus forskahlii</i> Species of fish

Hydrocynus forskahlii, the elongate tigerfish, is a species of predatory characin from the family Alestidae which is found in northern and western Africa.

<i>Boulengerella cuvieri</i> Species of fish

Boulengerella cuiveri, commonly known as the bicuda, is a species of pike-characin in the family Ctenoluciidae.

Nannopetersius mutambuei is a species of African tetra fish in the family Alestidae. It is endemic to the Inkisi River upstream of the Sanga dam in the lower Congo River basin, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Alestopetersius hilgendorfi is a species of African tetra fish found in the middle Congo River basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lalèyè, P. (2020). "Hepsetus odoe". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T53875166A100179251. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T53875166A100179251.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hepsetus odoe (Bloch, 1794)". Fishbase . Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  3. ↑ > Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Hepsetus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Decru, E.; Vreven, E. & Snoeks, J. (2013). "A revision of the Lower Guinean Hepsetus species (Characiformes; Hepsetidae) with the description of Hepsetus kingsleyae sp. nov". Journal of Fish Biology. 82 (4): 1351–1375. doi:10.1111/jfb.12079. PMID   23557311.
  5. ↑ Decru, E.; Snoeks, J. & Vreven, E. (2013). "The true identity of the holotype of Hepsetus odoe and the names of the two West African species of Hepsetus (Teleostei: Hepsetidae)" (PDF). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 24 (2): 187–192.
  6. ↑ Zengeya, T. A.; Decru, E. & Vreven, E. (2011). "Revalidation of Hepsetus cuvieri (Castelnau, 1861) (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) from the Quanza, Zambezi and southern part of the Congo ichthyofaunal provinces". Journal of Natural History. 45 (27–28): 1723–1744. doi:10.1080/00222933.2011.560724.
  7. ↑ Decru, E.; Vreven, E. & Snoeks, J. (January 2012). "A revision of the West African Hepsetus (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) with a description of Hepsetus akawo sp. nov. and a redescription of Hepsetus odoe (Bloch, 1794)". Journal of Natural History. 46 (1–2): 1–23. doi:10.1080/00222933.2011.622055.
  8. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 196–197. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  9. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CHARACIFORMES: Families DISTICHODONTIDAE, CITHARINIDAE, CRENUCHIDAE, ALESTIDAE and HEPSETIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Hepsetus odoe Kafue pike (Also: Kafue pike characin; Pike characid)". Regents of the University of Michigan. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  11. ↑ Nelson, J. S. (2006). Fishes of the World (4 ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 161–162. ISBN   978-0-471-25031-9.
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