''Xyliphius'' 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 ...

of banjo catfishes 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 ...

. This genus appears to be widespread in the Magdalena,

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 ...

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 ...

, and

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Paraná River The Paraná River ( es, Río Paraná, links=no , pt, Rio Paraná, gn, Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Br ...

systems where they are most common in deeper waters. ''Xyliphius'' includes moderately sized aspredinids, ranging from 8.8–14.7

centimetre 330px, Different lengths as in respect to the Electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the Metre and its deriveds scales. The Microwave are in-between 1 meter to 1 millimeter. A centimetre (international spelling) or centimeter (American spellin ...

s (3.5–5.8 in) SL. Species of this genus are distinguished from all other aspredinids by having highly reduced

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

s, toothless

premaxilla The premaxilla (or praemaxilla) is one of a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the upper jaw of many animals, usually, but not always, bearing teeth. In humans, they are fused with the maxilla. The "premaxilla" of therian mammal has b ...

e, a row of fleshy

papilla Papilla (Latin, 'nipple') or papillae may refer to: In animals * Papilla (fish anatomy), in the mouth of fish * Basilar papilla, a sensory organ of lizards, amphibians and fish * Dental papilla, in a developing tooth * Dermal papillae, part of ...

e projecting anteriorly off the lower lip, flattened unculi and unculiferous

tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...

s flattened. These species also have the openings of the anterior nares with papillae and no dark saddles on the body.

Species

There are currently seven described species in this genus: * '' Xyliphius anachoretes'' C. A. A. de Figueiredo & Britto, 2010 * '' Xyliphius barbatus'' Alonso de Arámburu & Arámburu, 1962 * '' Xyliphius kryptos'' Taphorn & Lilyestrom, 1983 * '' Xyliphius lepturus'' Orcés-V. ( es), 1962 * '' Xyliphius lombarderoi'' F. J. J. Risso & E. N. P. de Risso, 1964 * '' Xyliphius magdalenae'' C. H. Eigenmann, 1912 * '' Xyliphius melanopterus'' Orcés-V. ( es), 1962

References

Aspredinidae Catfish genera Freshwater fish genera Catfish of South America Freshwater fish of South America Taxa named by Carl H. Eigenmann {{catfish-stub