''Myleus'' 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 ...

serrasalmid The Serrasalmidae (serrasalmids) are a family of characiform fishes, recently elevated to family status. It includes more than 90 species. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the belly of these ...

s from

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 ...

, where found in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

, Orinoco and São Francisco basins, as well as river basin of the

Guiana Shield The Guiana Shield (french: Plateau des Guyanes, Bouclier guyanais; nl, Hoogland van Guyana, Guianaschild; pt, Planalto das Guianas, Escudo das Guianas; es, Escudo guayanés) is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a ...

.Ota, R.P., Röpke, C.P., Zuanon, J. & Jégu, M. (2013): Serrasalmidae. ''In'': Queiroz, L.J., Torrente-Vilara, G., Ohara, W.M., Pires, T.H.S., Zuanon, J. & Doria, C.R.C. (Eds.), ''Peixes do rio Madeira.'' Volume II, ''Santo Antonio Energia, São Paulo, 12–47.'' They are found in rivers with moderately or fast-flowing water, including rapids. They are primarily

herbivores A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

, but also take some animal matter. Depending on the exact species, they reach up to in standard length, and the adult males have a double-lobed anal fin and filamentous extensions on the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

. Their strong teeth means that larger individuals can inflict severe bites on humans.

Species

There are currently 5 recognized species of ''Myleus''. Several others have been moved to the genus ''

Myloplus ''Myloplus'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae found in tropical and subtropical South America, where they inhabit rivers and streams (both slow and fast-flowing). They are primarily herbivores, but also take some animal ...

''. * '' Myleus altipinnis'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

, 1850) * '' Myleus knerii'' ( Steindachner, 1881) * '' Myleus micans'' ( Lütken, 1875) * '' Myleus pacu'' ( Jardine, 1841) * '' Myleus setiger'' J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844

References

Serrasalmidae Taxa named by Johannes Peter Müller Taxa named by Franz Hermann Troschel Fish of South America {{Characiformes-stub