Hypopygus is a genus of South American gymnotiform knifefishes native to the Amazon, Orinoco and upper Paraguay basins, as well as rivers in the Guianas.[1][2] They are often common, and found near submerged roots, aquatic vegetation and leaf-litter in streams, edges of rivers and floodplains.[1] They are regularly found among vegetation in floating meadows, a habitat that often contains little oxygen, but they are well-adapted to this.[3]
| Hypopygus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gymnotiformes |
| Family: | Hypopomidae |
| Genus: | Hypopygus Hoedeman, 1962 |
| Type species | |
| Hypopygus lepturus Hoedeman, 1962
| |
They are well-camouflaged and brown in color with a banded/mottled pattern.[1][2][4] They generally resemble the related Steatogenys, but are smaller,[5] reaching up to 5.9–12.2 cm (2.3–4.8 in) in total length depending on the exact species of Hypopygus.[6] The smallest is H. hoedemani, which is the second-smallest knifefish,[1] after Microsternarchus brevis.[7] They are nocturnal and feed on small invertebrates. During the day they remain hidden, often in groups that may number several dozen individuals.[1]
Taxonomy and species edit
Hypopygus has traditionally been included in the family Hypopomidae,[8] but a comprehensive molecular study from 2015 showed it belongs in Rhamphichthyidae,[9] and this has been followed by recent authorities.[10][11]
There are currently eight recognized species of Hypopygus according to FishBase,[6] but studies have shown that "Stegostenopos" cryptogenes (a species that reaches up to 15 cm or 5.9 in long) belongs in Hypopygus and this is followed by the Catalog of Fishes.[1][10][12]
- Hypopygus benoneae L. A. W. Peixoto, Dutra, de Santana & Wosiacki, 2013[2]
- Hypopygus hoedemani de Santana & Crampton, 2011 (Hoedeman's Hypopygus)
- Hypopygus isbruckeri de Santana & Crampton, 2011 (Isbrücker's Hypopygus)
- Hypopygus lepturus Hoedeman, 1962
- Hypopygus minissimus de Santana & Crampton, 2011
- Hypopygus neblinae Mago-Leccia, 1994
- Hypopygus nijsseni de Santana & Crampton, 2011 (Nijssen's Hypopygus)
- Hypopygus ortegai de Santana & Crampton, 2011 (Ortega's Hypopygus)
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f de Santana, C.D. & W.G.R. Crampton (2011). "Phylogenetic interrelationships, taxonomy, and reductive evolution in the Neotropical electric fish genus Hypopygus (Teleostei, Ostariophysi, Gymnotiformes)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 163 (4): 1096–1156. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00736.x.
- ^ a b c Peixoto, Luiz Antônio Wanderley; Dutra, Guilherme Moreira; de Santana, Carlos David & Wosiacki, Wolmar Benjamin (2013). "A new species of the electric fish genus Hypopygus (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae) from the Lower Amazon Basin, Brazil". Copeia. 2013 (2): 232–237. doi:10.1643/CI-12-087. S2CID 84089305.
- ^ Carvalho, L.N.; L. Fidelis; R. Arruda; A. Galuch & K. Zuanon (2013). "Second floor, please: the fish fauna of floating litter banks in Amazonian streams and rivers". Neotropical Ichthyology. 11 (1): 78–91. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252013000100010.
- ^ Nijssen, H. & I.J.H. Isbrücker (1972). "On Hypopygus lepturus, a little known dwarf gymnotid fish from South America (Pisces, Cypriniformes, Gymnotoidei)". Zoologische Mededelingen. 14763: 160–176.
- ^ Crampton, W.G.R.; D.C. Thorsen; J.S. Albert & N.R. Lovejoy (2004). "Steatogenys ocellatus: a new species of neotropical electric fish (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae) from the Lowland Amazon Basin". Copeia. 2004 (1): 78–91. doi:10.1643/ci-03-072ri. S2CID 85693926.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2018). Species of Hypopygus in FishBase. April 2018 version.
- ^ Cox Fernandes, C.; Nogueira, A.; Williston, A. & Alves-Gomes, J.A. (2015). "A new species of electric knifefish from the Rio Negro, Amazon basin (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae, Microsternarchini)". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 164 (1): 213–227. doi:10.1635/053.164.0113. S2CID 86768117.
- ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2018). "Hypopomidae" in FishBase. May 2018 version.
- ^ Tagliacollo, V.A.; Bernt, M.J.; Craig, J.M.; Oliviera, C. & Albert, J.S. (2015). "Model-based Total Evidence phylogeny of Neotropical electric knifefishes (Teleostei, Gymnotiformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 95: 20–33. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.11.007. hdl:11449/168204. PMID 26616344.
- ^ a b Ferraris Jr, C.J.; C.D. de Santana & R.P. Vari (2017). "Checklist of Gymnotiformes (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi) and catalogue of primary types". Neotropical Ichthyology. 15 (1): e160067. doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20160067.
- ^ van der Sleen, P. & J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. pp. 337–341. ISBN 978-0691170749.
- ^ Eschmeyer, W.N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (8 May 2018). "Catalog of Fishes". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
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