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 aquatic
salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
s of the family
Sirenidae
Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other ...
. The genus consists of three living
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
, along with one
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
species from the
Eocene Epoch
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "daw ...
and three from the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
.
The living species have elongated,
eel
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
-like bodies, with two small
vestigial
Vestigiality is the retention, during the process of evolution, of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of the ancestral function in a given species. Assessment of the vestigiality must generally rely on co ...
Extant
Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to:
* Extant hereditary titles
* Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English
* Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...
(living) species include:
*''Siren intermedia''
Barnes
Barnes may refer to:
People
* Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name)
Places
United Kingdom
*Barnes, London, England
**Barnes railway station
** Barnes Bridge railway station
** Barnes Railway Bri ...
, 1826 –
lesser siren
The lesser siren (''Siren intermedia'') is a species of aquatic salamander native to the eastern United States and northern Mexico. They are referred to by numerous common names, including two-legged eel, dwarf siren, and mud eel. The specific ep ...
*''Siren lacertina''
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
Siren reticulata
The reticulated siren (''Siren reticulata''), also known commonly as the leopard eel, is a species of aquatic salamander in the family Sirenidae. The species, which is endemic to the southeastern United States, was first formally described in 2 ...
''
Graham
Graham and Graeme may refer to:
People
* Graham (given name), an English-language given name
* Graham (surname), an English-language surname
* Graeme (surname), an English-language surname
* Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer
* Clan ...
reticulated siren
The reticulated siren (''Siren reticulata''), also known commonly as the leopard eel, is a species of aquatic salamander in the family Sirenidae. The species, which is endemic to the southeastern United States, was first formally described in 2 ...
or leopard eel
Extinct species:
*†''
Siren dunni
''Siren'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of three living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene.
The living species have elongated, eel-like bodies ...
Siren hesterna
''Siren'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of three living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene.
The living species have elongated, eel-like bodies ...
'' Herre, 1955
*†''
Siren miotexana
''Siren'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of three living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene.
The living species have elongated, eel-like bodies ...
''
Holman Holman may refer to:
People
* Holman (surname), including people with the name
* Holman (given name), a list of people with the name
Places United States
* Holman, Missouri, a former town
* Holman, Texas, a settlement
* Holman, Washington, a s ...
, 1977
*†''
Siren simpsoni
''Siren'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of three living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene.
The living species have elongated, eel-like bodies ...
Siren intermedia
The lesser siren (''Siren intermedia'') is a species of aquatic salamander native to the eastern United States and northern Mexico. They are referred to by numerous common names, including two-legged eel, dwarf siren, and mud eel. The specific ep ...
dwarf siren
Dwarf sirens are eel-like salamanders of the genus ''Pseudobranchus''. Dwarf sirens possess external gills throughout adulthood and lack hind legs. Dwarf sirens can be distinguished from members of the genus ''Siren'' in that dwarf sirens ha ...