''Dianema'' is a small
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
catfish in the Callichthyinae subfamily of the Callichthyidae, armored catfish family. The Biological type, type species for this genus is ''Dianema longibarbis''. The name is derived from the Greek language, Greek ''di'', meaning "two", and ''nema'', meaning "filament".
The two species of ''Dianema'' share approximately the same distribution, and are found in the Amazon River and lower courses of its tributaries.
''Dianema'' species have the habit of swimming midwater, as opposed to the bottom as in most callichthyids.
Species
There are currently two described species in this genus:
[
*''Porthole catfish, Dianema longibarbis'' Edward Drinker Cope, Cope, 1872 (Porthole catfish)
*''Flagtail catfish, Dianema urostriatum'' (Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro, A. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1912) (Flagtail catfish)
]
References
Callichthyidae
Freshwater fish of South America, *
Catfish genera
Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope
Freshwater fish genera
{{callichthyidae-stub