Piabucus melanostoma

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Piabucus melanostoma
Piabucus melanostomus.png
Piabucus melanostoma
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Iguanodectidae
Genus: Piabucus
Species:
P. melanostoma
Binomial name
Piabucus melanostoma
Holmberg, 1891

Piabucus melanostoma, sometimes called the chin tetra, is a small species of freshwater fish from the rivers of South America. It is the second-largest species of the genus, but still only reaches about 12 cm (4 in) long. Occasionally found in captivity, it has an appealing iridescent-silver coloration. It is amongst the largest of fish still considered "tetras" in the aquarium hobby.

Contents

While it is commonly referred to as P. melanostoma, it is also easily found under the name P. melanostomus. Its baisonym is P. melanostoma, and it is more often listed as such, but both are used by the scientific community.

Description

Piabucus melanostoma reaches a maximum of 11.5 cm (4.1 in) in SL (standard length). [1] It is second-largest out of the three species in its genus; Piabucus caudomaculatus is the smallest, at 9.6 cm (3.8 in) SL, and Piabucus dentatus the largest, at 12.9 cm (5.0 in) SL. [2] The scales are an iridescent silver-yellow, with a stripe of brighter silver down each side; this stripe ends in a patch of black on the middle caudal-fin rays. [3] The lateral stripe may also display a touch of green or yellow. One of P. melanostoma's most distinctive characteristics is its lower jaw, which is colored black. [4]

Notable morphometric characteristics include 44 to 46 anal-fin rays, 11 dorsal-fin rays, and 82 to 92 lateral-line scales. [3] [5] P. melanostoma also has some aspects similar to species in the genus Creagrutus ; specifically, the structure of the fifth ceratobranchial is reminiscent. (The ceratobranchial is the longest bone in the branchial arches of fish, or the gill arches.) However, this feature (and related features) are the only similarity between P. melanostoma and any Creagrutus. [6]

Sexual Dimorphism

All three species of Piabucus develop hooks and lappets (fleshy extensions) on the first few rays of the anal fin, but further sexual dimorphism specifically in P. melanostoma is unknown. [7]

Taxonomy

Piabucus melanostoma has largely retained its baisonym, which was prescribed by Argentine natural historian Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg in 1891. [8] The genus Piabucus was referred to as Piabuca at the time, but otherwise it has remained the same. [9]

Research using DNA barcoding has discovered that P. melanostoma is made up of two distinct lineages, though they are not different species. [10] [11] The lineages are partially the result of the restricted population flow presented by a wide range combined with a low dispersion capacity - that is, isolated groups far apart from each other, with very little way to come in contact. [12] The two lineages have different rivers of origin; the first is from the Paraguay, Bento Gomes and Cuiabá Rivers, and the second is from the Bento Gomes and Cuiabá Rivers only. Genetic flow between populations is aided by wetland flood cycles, which offer temporary transportation for relevant species. [11] [12]

Etymology

The genus name "piabucus" is a Latinization of the Brazilian Portuguese word "piaba", which is and was used to refer to various small characiform fishes. "Melano-" means "black" (consider the word "melanin"), and "stoma" is a Greek word that means "mouth" or "opening", in reference to the black lower lip and chin that P. melanostoma sports. [4]

Modern scientists more often use melanostoma for the specific epithet, but the species is also easily found under the name melanostomus. [13] This is because taxonomic convention dictates that the species name match the genus name in terms of linguistic gender, and "piabucus" is considered male, while "melanostoma" is considered female; "melanostomus" is considered male, and therefore matches the genus name.

Locals around the Rio Manso Reservoir sometimes use the common name "sardinha-de-gato", which means "cat sardine", for P. melanostoma. [14] Argentinians sometimes refer to it as "mojarra de boca negra", which means "blackmouth minnow". [15]

Distribution and habitat

First described from Argentina, [9] P. melanostoma is the only species from the family Iguanodectidae to be found in the Paraguay river basin. [10] It is also found in the Maderia river basin, and is widespread across various floodplain areas in both regions. [1] P. melanostoma is found especially easily in the Pantanal wetland region, which is largely within Mato Grosso, Brazil. [12]

Diet and ecology

Piabucus melanostoma is an omnivore that eats leaf litter, algae, invertebrates, and detritus. [12] While little is known of sympatry with other species, P. melanostoma is known to occur in schools, as is the case with all members of the genus. It tends to swim near the surface of the water. [7] Behavioral study is lacking. [11]

Presence and behavior in aquaria

Piabucus melanostoma is known in the aquarium industry, but is not incredibly popular. It has been exported from Paraguay to various locations, including Germany. [16] It is apparently amongst the largest ornamental fishes, specifically in comparison to other fishes that are also considered tetras. [12]

Conservation status

Piabucus melanostoma has not been evaluated by the IUCN. [1] Some researchers consider it a rare species. [17] [18] One of its preferred habitats, the Pantanal wetlands, is under anthropogenic pressures that include infrastructure development and pollution. [19] Less than two percent of the area is under federal protection. [20] Researchers have warned that the cumulative effect of various minor stressors could lead to a more catastrophic collapse if usage of the Pantanal is not more strictly regulated. [21]

Related Research Articles

<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 an 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.

<i>Bryconops</i> Genus of fishes

Bryconops is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae from South America. It consists of small fish, all under half-a-foot long, with slender bodies and silvery scales, though there is some mild color variation. Several species can be identified by way of a humeral patch, and others have a reddish ocellus, or eyespot, on one or both lobes of the dorsal fin.

<i>Iguanodectes</i> Genus of fishes

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.

<i>Piabucus</i> Genus of fishes

Piabucus is a genus of freshwater tetras in the family Iguanodectidae. All three species are found in South America, largely the Amazon and its major tributaries. None of them are longer than half a foot long, with the largest reaching a maximum size of 12.9 cm (5.1 in), and they are slender, with relatively deep chests and long pectoral fins. Their scales are pale or silvery, with lateral lines that stand out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iguanodectidae</span> Family of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iguanodectinae</span> Family of fish

Iguanodectinae is a subfamily of small freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae. They are most prominently found in the Amazon river basin and its major tributaries, but they are also known from the Tocantins, Orinoco, and Paraguay rivers. It has two genera, Piabucus and Iguanodectes. Some species in the subfamily are taken from the wild for aquariums, like the red- and green-line lizard tetras. There is minor, but ongoing, debate regarding its taxonomy.

<i>Bryconops alburnoides</i> Species of 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tailspot tetra</span> Species of fish

The tailspot tetra is a freshwater fish that lives in the coastal river regions of upper South America. Both its common and scientific names reference the distinct spot of color present on the tail fin, which is one of its defining characteristics. It is a small fish, reaching 4.8 in at its longest. Despite its small size, it is an active swimmer, with a preference for fast-flowing waters.

<i>Bryconops colaroja</i> Species of fish

Bryconops colaroja is a small species of fish endemic to tributaries and creeks of the Cuyuni River basin in Venezuela. The specific epithet "colaroja" means "red tailed", and it gets this name from its most distinctive feature - a deep red caudal fin, largely unique amongst members of its genus.

Bryconops durbinae, sometimes listed under the name Bryconops durbini, is a small species of freshwater fish in the family Iguanodectidae. It is the smallest species of the genus Bryconops, and is endemic to the Tapajós river basin in Brazil.

<i>Bryconops piracolina</i> Species of fish

Bryconops piracolina is a small fish that inhabits the waters of Brazil. It is slender and silvery in color, like many fish in Bryconops, but can be distinguished from other members by way of its dorsal fin, which has a black patch of color extending up from the fin-base; congeners usually have light pigment in the dorsal fin, or a brighter color.

Bryconops vibex is a small freshwater fish from the rivers of Venezuela, known solely from the Rio Cataniapo. The body is slender, though with an element of sturdiness, and it has one humeral spot by each pectoral fin. It bears visual similarities to several congeners, but can be differentiated by way of many factors.

Bryconops hexalepis is a small iguanodectid fish from the rivers of Brazil. It is solely found in the drainage of the Rio Tocantins. Rather elongate and quite slender, it is considered one of the smaller species of its genus, with tall scales and large eyes.

Iguanodectes adujai is a species of freshwater fish that inhabits the rivers of South America. It largely prefers slow-moving blackwater habitats, though it has a slender body that suggests a further affinity for flowing water. It has a distinct lateral stripe in two horizontal sections, with bright-red at the top and yellow at the bottom.

<i>Iguanodectes geisleri</i> Species of fish

Iguanodectes geisleri, the red-line lizard tetra, is a species of freshwater fish from South America. It is a small species, largely herbivorous with some omnivorous traits, that prefers to live in schools and is partial to shallow waters, especially in blackwater habitats. Some aspects of its body plan are unique amongst its genus, including the position and length of the anal fin.

Iguanodectes gracilis is a small species of freshwater fish from South America. It is known solely from the Rio Negro river system, which restricts its range only to Brazil. The name "gracilis" is in reference to a slender body shape, alongside the diminutive nature of I. gracilis - it is the smallest member of the genus Iguanodectes.

Iguanodectes polylepis is a species of freshwater fish from the rivers of South America. Its range is restricted to Brazil, where it inhabits the Madeira and Purus river basins. It is one of the larger members of the genus, but remains generally small, only a little over a quarter-foot long.

Iguanodectes purusii is a small freshwater fish from the rivers of South America. It is largely herbivorous, and prefers to live in schools. The name "purusii" originates from the species' type locality, the Purus river basin of Brazil, with a range that also extends into Peru. Furthermore, it has been documented from the Amazon, Madeira, Guaporé, and Pastaza rivers, but specific study of its ecology is otherwise lacking.

Piabucus caudomaculatus is a small freshwater fish inhabiting the rivers of South America. It was the first member of the family Iguanodectidae to be reported from Bolivia, and it remains endemic to the region, found solely in the Mamoré river basin. It displays a preference for slow-moving waterways and has a largely insectivorous diet.

Piabucus dentatus, also called the chin tetra or the coastal piabucus, is a small freshwater fish from the rivers of South America. It has a wide range that includes multiple coastal drainage systems, and was once mistakenly cited from Peru. Preferred habitats are generally high in silt content and are slow-moving, including floodplain streams and estuaries.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Piabucus melanostoma" in FishBase . February 2023 version.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2023). Species of Piabucus in FishBase . February 2023 version.
  3. 1 2 Eigenmann, Carl H.; Myers, George S. (1917). The American Characidae / by Carl H. Eigenmann. Cambridge: Printed for the Museum. pp. 496–499. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.49183.
  4. 1 2 Scharpf, Christopher; Lazara, Kenneth J. (15 September 2020). "Order CHARACIFORMES: Families IGUANODECTIDAE, TRIPORTHEIDAE, BRYCONIDAE, CHALCEIDAE and GASTEROPELECIDAE". The ETYFish Project. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Clarke, Matt (June 2007). "Chin tetra, Piabucus sp.". www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk. Practical Fishkeeping Magazine. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Vari, Richard P. (2001). "Phylogenetic study of the neotropical fish genera Creagrutus Günther and Piabina Reinhardt (Teleostei:Ostariophysi:Characiformes), with a revision of the cis-Andean species". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology (613): 1–239. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.613. hdl:10088/5183.
  7. 1 2 van der Sleen, Peter; Albert, James S., eds. (2018-12-31), "The Fish Families", Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas, Princeton University Press, pp. 163–165, doi:10.1515/9781400888801-009, ISBN   978-1-4008-8880-1, S2CID   188010661 , retrieved 2023-02-15
  8. ↑ Guimarães, Erick Cristofore; Ottoni, Felipe Polivanov; Katz, Axel M. (January 2017). "Range extension of Piabucus dentatus (Koelreuter, 1763) for the Pindaré River drainage, Mearim River basin, Brazil (Characiformes: Iguanodectinae)". Cybium: International Journal of Ichthyology. 41 (3): 287–289. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 Holmberg, Eduardo Ladislao (1891). "Sobre algunos Peces nuevos ó poco conocidos de la República Argentina". In Ameghino, Florentino (ed.). Revista argentina de historia natural (in Spanish) (1 ed.). Buenos Aires: P. E. Coni é Hijos. p. 192. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  10. 1 2 da Silva, Luís Ricardo Ribeiro (July 2020). Delimitação Molecular de Espécies da Família Iguanodectidae (Teleostei, Characiformes) (PDF) (Master's thesis) (in Spanish). São Paulo State University.
  11. 1 2 3 Lourenço da Silva, E.; Piscor, D.; Ponzeto, J. M.; Centofante, L.; Alves, A. L.; Parise-Maltempi, P. P. (June 2012). "Cytogenetic characterisation of the ornamental freshwater fish, Piabucus melanostomus (Iguanodectinae) from Brazilian wetlands and its relation with species of Characidae basal group". Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. 22 (2): 477–484. doi:10.1007/s11160-011-9238-2. ISSN   0960-3166. S2CID   254980031.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Borba, Rafael Splendore de; Silva, Edson Lourenço da; Ponzetto, Josi Margarete; Pozzobon, Allan Pierre Bonetti; Centofante, Liano; Alves, Anderson Luis; Parise-Maltempi, Patrícia Pasquali (March 2013). "Genetic structure of the ornamental tetra fish species Piabucus melanostomus Holmberg, 1891 (CHARACIDAE, IGUANODECTINAE) in the Brazilian Pantanal wetlands inferred by mitochondrial DNA sequences". Biota Neotropica. 13 (1): 42–46. doi:10.1590/S1676-06032013000100004. hdl: 11449/19632 . ISSN   1676-0603.
  13. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species related to Piabuca melanostoma". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  14. ↑ Veríssimo, Samuel; Pavanelli, Carla Simone; Britski, Heraldo Antonio; Moreira, Milena Mathilde Monaco (1 September 2009). "Fish, Manso Reservoir region of influence, Rio Paraguai basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil". Check List. 1 (1): 1–9. doi: 10.15560/1.1.1 .
  15. ↑ Rosso, Juan José; Liotta, Jorge (November 2021). "Peces continentales". In Bauni, Valeria; Bertonatti, Claudio; Giacchino, Adrián (eds.). Inventario Biológico Argentino - Vertebrados (PDF) (1 ed.). Buenos Aires: Fundación Azara. p. 158. ISBN   978-987-3781-81-0 . Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  16. ↑ Jander, Gerolf (3 May 2014). "Newsletter 35/14" (PDF). Aqua-Global. p. 2. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Piabucus melanostoma". sib.gob.ar. Biodiversity Information System of the National Parks Administration, Argentina. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  18. ↑ López, Hugo L.; Miquelarena, Amalia M.; Gómez, Justina Ponte (January 2005). "Biodiversidad y distribucion de la ictiofauna mesopotamica". Instituto Superior de Correlacion Geologica, Serie Miscelanea. 14. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  19. ↑ "The Pantanal: Saving the world's largest tropical wetland | Projects | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  20. ↑ "Pantanal". The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  21. ↑ Tortato, Fernando; Tomas, Walfrido Moraes; Chiaravalloti, Rafael Morais; Morato, Ronaldo (2022-06-28). "Tragedy of the Commons: How Subtle, "Legal" Decisions Are Threatening One of the Largest Wetlands in the World". BioScience. 72 (7): 609. doi:10.1093/biosci/biac025. ISSN   0006-3568.
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