''Propimelodus'' 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 ...
of South American
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...
of 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 ...
Pimelodidae
The Pimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, are a family of catfishes ( order Siluriformes).
Taxonomy
The family Pimelodidae has undergone much revision. Currently, it contains about 30 genera and about 90 recognized and kn ...
.
Taxonomy
The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
of this genus, ''P. eigenmanni'', was first described in 1946 under the genus ''
Pimelodus
''Pimelodus'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Pimelodidae native to Central America, Central and South America.
Species
There are currently 33 recognized species in this genus:
* ''Pimelodus absconditus'' María de las Mercede ...
''. In 2002, the genus ''Propimelodus'' was described for this species.
Shortly after, in 2006, the species ''P. caesius'' was described to this genus and in 2007 another new species, ''P. araguayae'' was described. Other species will be described in the future.
''Propimelodus'' is classified under the "''
Calophysus-Pimelodus'' clade". Within this clade, it is considered a part of the "Pimelodus-group" of Pimelodids, which also includes ''Pimelodus'', ''
Exallodontus'', ''
Duopalatinus'', ''
Cheirocerus'', ''
Iheringichthys'', ''
Bergiaria'', ''
Bagropsis'', ''
Parapimelodus'', ''
Platysilurus'', and ''
Platystomatichthys''.
[
]
Species
There are currently three recognized species in this genus:
Distribution
''P. eigenmanni'' originate from the lower Amazon River as well as large tributaries such as the Xingu, Trombetas, Jari River, and lower Madeira River
The Madeira River ( pt, Rio Madeira, link=no ) is a major waterway in South America. It is estimated to be in length, while the Madeira-Mamoré is estimated near or in length depending on the measuring party and their methods. The Madeira is ...
in Brazil, and the rivers Kourou
Kourou () is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It i ...
and Oyapock
The Oyapock or Oiapoque (; ; ) is a long river in South America that forms most of the border between the French overseas department of French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá.
Course
The Oyapock runs through the Guianan moist fores ...
in French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...
.[ ''P. caesius'' has the largest range of the genus.][ ''P. caesius'' is also found in many of these regions, with tributary range including ]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 ...
, Pará
Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana ...
, Jari, Xingu, Trombetas, Madeira, Negro
In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...
, Purús, Japurá, Juruá, and Içá river
The Putumayo River or Içá River ( es, Río Putumayo, pt, Rio Içá) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River.
Course
The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as wel ...
s.[ ''P. araguayae'' is only known from the middle Araguaia River.]
Appearance and anatomy
These fish have three pairs of barbels
In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and some s ...
. As in other pimelodids, these whiskers are extremely long; the maxillary barbels extend past the base of the caudal 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 ...
. ''Propimelodus'' species have a rather long adipose 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 ...
.[ Unlike its congeners, ''P. araguayae'' has a black spot on its dorsal fin.][
''P. eigenmanni'' grows not much longer than 20 centimetres (8 in).][ ''P. eigenmanni'' is a pale blue-gray to tan.][ ''P. caesius'' also has an attractive blue coloration.][
]
Ecology
''Propimelodus'' lives in swiftly flowing waters of open channels of the Amazon River and many of its large tributaries; ''P. caesius'' is one of the most common fish in these habitats.[
''P. eigenmanni'' associate with mud or detritus substrates.][ ''P. caesius'' is found in turbid, blackwater habitats over sand, clay, and detritus substrates.][ ''P. eigenmanni'' is nocturnal, found in tidally influenced freshwater habitats on mud substrate and near dense vegetation.][ ''P. araguayae'' has been found near the edge of rivers among macrophytes.][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7250323
Pimelodidae
Fish of South America
Fish of the Amazon basin
Catfish genera
Freshwater fish genera