Cynodontidae, from Ancient Greek κύων ( kúōn), meaning "dog", and ὀδούς ( odoús), meaning "tooth", also known as dogtooth Characiformes or vampire , are a family of predatory, Characiformes freshwater Fish from South America. This group is not very diverse, and includes only three Genus and 8 species.
They are characterized by an oblique mouth and very long distinct Canine tooth, which are used to capture and stab their prey, other fish that can be up to half the length of the cynodontine itself.
Taxonomy
This
Monophyly family contains only a few species: three species of
Cynodon, four species of
Hydrolycus, and one species in the
monotypic genus
Rhaphiodon,
Rhaphiodon vulpinus.
These fish have been previously classified within
Characidae.
Rhaphiodon and Cynodon are Sister group to each other; these two genera together have a sister group relationship to the genus Hydrolycus.
The subfamily Roestinae was previously placed in this family, but are now known to be more closely related to Acestrorhynchus, and are now placed in the Acestrorhynchidae.
Species
Hydrolycus species here are ordered based on their relationships from the most basal to the most
apomorphic based on sister group relationships when possible.
Descriptions and dates based on ITIS.
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!Genus
!Species |
| Biara Biara
Spix and Agassiz, 1829
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Rhaphiodon vulpinus Spix and Agassiz, 1829 (biara)
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| Cynodon gibbus Cynodon
Agassiz, 1829
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Cynodon gibbus (Agassiz, 1829)
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Cynodon meionactis Géry, Le Bail and Keith, 1999
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Cynodon septenarius Toledo-Piza, 2000
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| H. tatauaia Hydrolycus
Müller and Troschel, 1844
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Hydrolycus wallacei , & , 1999
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Hydrolycus scomberoides (Cuvier, 1819) (payara)
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Hydrolycus armatus (Jardine and Schomburgk in Schomburgk, 1841) (payara)
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Hydrolycus tatauaia Toledo-Piza, Menezes and dos Santos, 1999
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Physical characteristics
Cynodontidae are elongated in shape with a silvery or grey colour and an upturned mouth. Some species have a hunchbacked appearance. The family names (both scientific and common) derive from the long and well-developed
Canine tooth which are used to spear their prey, mainly other fish. Their
are also expanded. The maximum length reached is .
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Distribution and habitat
Cynodontinae species are found throughout the Orinoco and Amazon basin, as well as the rivers of the Guianas. Of the cynodontines, R. vulpinus has the greatest distribution, including the Paraná-Paraguay River and Uruguay River basins.
Relationship to humans
Hydrolycus species are game fish, having been recently added to the International Game Fish Association in the fly and rod class. Cynodontid fish are also sometimes kept in aquaria.
See also
