''Myleus'' is a

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 ...

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 southe ...

, 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 technology c ...

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

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 Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...

. 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 Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...

, and the adult males have a double-lobed

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

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 conv ...

. 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 s ...

, 1850) * '' Myleus knerii'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

, 1881) * '' Myleus micans'' ( Lütken, 1875) * ''

Myleus pacu ''Myleus'' is a genus of serrasalmids from South America, where found in the Amazon basin, Amazon, Orinoco and São Francisco River, São Francisco basins, as well as river basin of the Guiana Shield.Ota, R.P., Röpke, C.P., Zuanon, J. & Jégu, M ...

'' ( 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