Dwarf sirens are eel

Eel

Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...

-like salamander

Salamander

Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...

s of the genus Pseudobranchus. Dwarf sirens possess external gill

Gill

A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...

s throughout adulthood and lack hind leg

Leg

Łęg may refer to the following places in Poland:*A former name for the town of Ełk *Part of the Czyżyny district of Kraków*Łęg, Pleszew County in Greater Poland Voivodeship...

s. Dwarf sirens can be distinguished from members of the genus Siren

Siren (genus)

Siren is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of two living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene...

in that dwarf sirens have three toes on each foot

Foot

The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...

 rather than four. Like sirens, dwarf sirens are restricted to the Southeastern United States

Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

.

Species

The genus Pseudobranchus consists of the following species:

• Southern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus axanthus)
  • Narrow-striped Dwarf Siren  (Pseudobranchus axanthus axanthus)
  • Everglades Dwarf Siren  (Pseudobranchus axanthus belli)

• Northern Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus striatus)
  • Broad-striped Dwarf Siren  (Pseudobranchus striatus striatus)
  • Gulf Hammock Dwarf Siren  (Pseudobranchus striatus lustricolus)
  • Slender Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus striatus spheniscus)

External links

• Pseudobranchus - Encyclopedia of Life