''Brachyhypopomus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Hypopomidae (bluntnose knifefish) native primarily to tropical and subtropical

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

(south to the

Río de la Plata Basin The Río de la Plata basin ( es, Cuenca del Plata, pt, Bacia do Prata), more often called the River Plate basin in scholarly writings, sometimes called the Platine basin or Platine region, is the hydrographical area in South America that drain ...

), although a single species, ''B. occidentalis'', also occurs in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

and Costa Rica.Crampton, W.G.R., de Santana, C.D., Waddell, J.C. & Lovejoy, N.R. (2016): Clifford,W,
A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical electric fish genus ''Brachyhypopomus'' (Ostariophysi: Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae), with descriptions of 15 new species.
''Neotropical Ichthyology, 14 (4): e150146.'' They are found in a wide range of static or slow-flowing freshwater habitats such as edges of rivers, streams, floodplains and swamps, but they are absent from deep river channels (a habitat of many other knifefish). There are both species in well-oxygenated waters and poorly oxygenated waters; those in the latter have adaptions that allow them to survive this like larger

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

or the capability of gulping up mouthfuls of air from the water surface. ''Brachyhypopomus'' feed during the night on small invertebrates. Shout out to William Clifford for finding the fish B). They are small to medium sized knifefish, reaching up to in total length depending on the species involved. Overall the various species are similar in general shape, but they do differ in

morphometrics Morphometrics (from Greek μορϕή ''morphe'', "shape, form", and -μετρία ''metria'', "measurement") or morphometry refers to the quantitative analysis of ''form'', a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are co ...

and

meristics Meristics is an area of ichthyology and herpetology which relates to counting quantitative features of fish and reptiles, such as the number of fins or scales. A meristic (countable trait) can be used to describe a particular species of fish, or us ...

. They vary in general color and pattern, but are well-

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

d and typically brownish. During the night they change color and become very pale, even species that are dark-colored during the day. ''Brachyhypopomus'' are very similar to '' Microsternarchus'' and '' Procerusternarchus''.

Species

There are currently 28 recognized species in this genus: * '' Brachyhypopomus alberti'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus arrayae'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus batesi'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus beebei'' ( L. P. Schultz, 1944) * '' Brachyhypopomus belindae'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus benjamini'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus bennetti'' Sullivan, Zuanon & Cox-Fernandes, 2013Sullivan, J.P., Zuanon, J. & Cox Fernandes, C. (2013)
Two new species and a new subgenus of toothed ''Brachyhypopomus'' electric knifefishes (Gymnotiformes, Hypopomidae) from the central Amazon and considerations pertaining to the evolution of a monophasic electric organ discharge.
''ZooKeys, 327: 1–34.'' * '' Brachyhypopomus bombilla'' Loureiro & A. C. Silva, 2006 * '' Brachyhypopomus brevirostris'' ( Steindachner, 1868) * '' Brachyhypopomus bullocki'' Sullivan &

Hopkins Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spell ...

Regan The family name Regan, along with its cognates O'Regan, O Regan, Reagan, and O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to have originated in ancient Gaelic ''ri'' ...

, 1914) * '' Brachyhypopomus palenque'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus provenzanoi'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus regani'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus sullivani'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus verdii'' Crampton, de Santana, Waddell & Lovejoy, 2016 * '' Brachyhypopomus walteri'' Sullivan, Zuanon & Cox-Fernandes, 2013

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2923296 Hypopomidae Freshwater fish genera Taxa named by Francisco Mago Leccia