''Pituna'' 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 ...

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 li ...

in the

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

Rivulidae. These annual killifish are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–

Tocantins Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 20 ...

, Xingu, uppermost Paraná and

Paranaíba Paranaíba is the easternmost Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Its population was 42,276 (2020) and its area is 5,402.778 km². References

Municipalities in Mato ...

river basins in Brazil. Most are from savanna regions, but ''P. xinguensis'' is from the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

. They are small fish, 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 ...

. Males are overall brownish with a spotted greenish-golden,

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of yea ...

or blue pattern, and a blue-black spot at the operculum. Females are far duller.

Species

''Pituna'' and the closely related ''

Maratecoara ''Maratecoara'' is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the upper Araguaia–Tocantins and middle Xingu river basins in Brazil. Most are from savanna regions, ...

'', ''

Papiliolebias ''Papiliolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to seasonal pools in the Paraguay River, Paraguay and upper Madeira River, Madeira river basins in northwestern Argentina ...

'', ''

Plesiolebias ''Plesiolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–Tocantins, Xingu, and uppermost Paraguay (Pantanal) river basins in Brazil. They are small ...

'' and ''

Stenolebias ''Stenolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These relatively rare annual killifish are endemic to seasonal waters in the Pantanal in Brazil. They are small fish, up to in total length. Species ''Stenolebias'' and the closely r ...

'' form a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

, Plesiolebiasini. There are currently six recognized species in ''Pituna'': * '' Pituna brevirostrata'' W. J. E. M. Costa, 2007 * '' Pituna compacta'' ( G. S. Myers, 1927) * '' Pituna obliquoseriata'' W. J. E. M. Costa, 2007 * ''

Pituna poranga ''Pituna'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–Tocantins, Xingu, uppermost Paraná and Paranaíba river basins in Brazil. Most are from savann ...

'' W. J. E. M. Costa, 1989 * ''

Pituna schindleri ''Pituna'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–Tocantins, Xingu, uppermost Paraná and Paranaíba river basins in Brazil. Most are from savann ...

'' W. J. E. M. Costa, 2007 * ''

Pituna xinguensis ''Pituna'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia River, Araguaia–Tocantins River, Tocantins, Xingu River, Xingu, uppermos ...

'' W. J. E. M. Costa & D. T. B. Nielsen, 2007

References

Rivulidae Freshwater fish genera {{Cyprinodontiformes-stub