Hypoptopomatinae | |
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Otocinclus cocama | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Siluriformes |
Family: | Loricariidae |
Subfamily: | Hypoptopomatinae C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1890 |
Genera | |
Tribe Hypoptopomatini |
The Hypoptopomatinae are a subfamily of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Loricariidae, [4] composed of 17 genera and approximately 80 species. [5] This subfamily represents about one-tenth of all loricariid species. [6]
It has been divided into two tribes, Hypoptopomatini and Otothyrini. [4] However, in a 2005 analysis, Otothyrini was found to not be monophyletic, with its representatives comprising a paraphyletic group in relation to the tribe Hypoptopomatini. [7] More recent phylogenetic evidence shows that Hypoptopomatini and Otothyrini, while each are monophyletic tribes, do not form a monophyletic subfamily, and therefore should each be recognized as their own individual subfamilies. [8] Problematically, the most recent hypoptopomatine genera, Gymnotocinclus and Rhinolekos , were not classified in either of the tribes. [3] [9]
Almost all species of Hypoptopomatinae have a diploid number of 2n = 54; this group is karyotypically very conserved. [10]
Hypoptopomatinae are distributed east of the Andes in South America from Venezuela to northern Argentina. [5] Most of the hypoptopomatine species are usually found at or near the water surface, typically in close association with riverbank vegetation or some subsurface structure. [11]