Hyphessobrycon
Encyclopedia
Hyphessobrycon is a genus
of freshwater
fish
in the characin family
(family Characidae
) of order
Characiformes
. The Hyphessobrycon species are among the fishes known as tetra
s. All species of this genus are native to the Neotropic
ecozone
in South America
.
in 1917. By this definition, Hyphessobrycon is identified by the presence of an adipose fin, incomplete lateral line
, two tooth series in the premaxilla
, with the teeth of the external series continuous in a single series, teeth not strictly conical, preventral scales arranged in more than one row, and lack of scales in the caudal fin. The characteristic of extension of scales onto the caudal fin that differentiates this genus from Hemigrammus
is not satisfactory as it occurs in intermediate conditions.
This genus is not monophyletic
. A monophyletic group within Hyphessobrycon has been hypothesized, termed the rosy tetra clade
; this group is based upon coloration pattern and the shape of dorsal and anal fins of males. Recognition of monophyletic groups among Hyphessobrycon species is complicated by the difficulty in finding characters useful for hypothesis of relationships among the species. Traditional characters used to identify Hyphessobrycon are phylogenetically unreliable.
The type species
is H. compressus, the Mayan tetra. The generic
name, Hyphessobrycon, is of slightly uncertain origin. The second part derives from the Greek
βρύκω (to bite); the first, derives from an ostensible Greek hyphesson, which may be an error for υπελάσσων (slightly smaller).
to Río de La Plata
in Argentina
, achieving its highest diversity in Cis
andean
northern South America
.
All small fishes, the Hyphessobrycon tetras reach maximum overall lengths of about 2–7 cm (0.75–2.75 in). There is great anatomical diversity in this genus. They are generally of typical characin shape, but vary greatly in coloration and body form, many species having distinctive black, red, or yellow markings on their bodies or fins.
s, insect
s, annelid
worms, and zooplankton
. When spawning, they scatter their eggs and guard neither eggs nor young.
of threatened species. Many Hyphessobrycon species are popular aquarium
fish.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the characin family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(family Characidae
Characidae
The Characidae, characids or characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a by and large monophyletic group at family...
) of order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Characiformes
Characiformes
The Characiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, there are a few thousand different species, including the well-known piranha and tetras.-Taxonomy:...
. The Hyphessobrycon species are among the fishes known as tetra
Tetra
thumb|right|250px|Pristella tetra — [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|Golden Pristella tetra, a [[morph |morph]] of [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|[[Silvertip tetra]] — Hasemania nana....
s. All species of this genus are native to the Neotropic
Neotropic
In biogeography, the Neotropic or Neotropical zone is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones. This ecozone includes South and Central America, the Mexican lowlands, the Caribbean islands, and southern Florida, because these regions share a large number of plant and animal groups.It is sometimes used...
ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Taxonomy
This large genus of characins includes over 100 species. The systematics of Hyphessobrycon is still largely unresolved. Six groups within this genus have been recognized based on color patterns alone. With no phylogenetic analysis of this genus, species are placed into this genus as anatomically defined by Carl H. EigenmannCarl H. Eigenmann
Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time....
in 1917. By this definition, Hyphessobrycon is identified by the presence of an adipose fin, incomplete lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
, two tooth series in the premaxilla
Premaxilla
The incisive bone is the portion of the maxilla adjacent to the incisors. It is a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the jaws of many animals, usually bearing teeth, but not always. They are connected to the maxilla and the nasals....
, with the teeth of the external series continuous in a single series, teeth not strictly conical, preventral scales arranged in more than one row, and lack of scales in the caudal fin. The characteristic of extension of scales onto the caudal fin that differentiates this genus from Hemigrammus
Hemigrammus
Hemigrammus is a genus of characins from South America with one species also occurring in Central America. There are currently 54 described species in this genus. Many of these species are popular aquarium fish.-Species:...
is not satisfactory as it occurs in intermediate conditions.
This genus is not monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
. A monophyletic group within Hyphessobrycon has been hypothesized, termed the rosy tetra clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
; this group is based upon coloration pattern and the shape of dorsal and anal fins of males. Recognition of monophyletic groups among Hyphessobrycon species is complicated by the difficulty in finding characters useful for hypothesis of relationships among the species. Traditional characters used to identify Hyphessobrycon are phylogenetically unreliable.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is H. compressus, the Mayan tetra. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name, Hyphessobrycon, is of slightly uncertain origin. The second part derives from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
βρύκω (to bite); the first, derives from an ostensible Greek hyphesson, which may be an error for υπελάσσων (slightly smaller).
Distribution
The genus is distributed from southern MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Río de La Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, achieving its highest diversity in Cis
Cis
Cis may have the following meanings:* "Cis-" as a prefix of Latin origin, meaning "on the same side [as]" or "on this side [of]", with several derived usages:** In chemistry, cis- refers to cis-trans isomerism...
andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Appearance and anatomy
Ecology
The Hyphessobrycon species are generally omnivorous, feeding predominantly on small crustaceanCrustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, annelid
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
worms, and zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. When spawning, they scatter their eggs and guard neither eggs nor young.
Relationship to humans
None of the roughly one hundred fishes in the genus appears on the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of threatened species. Many Hyphessobrycon species are popular aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish.
Species
Species list according to Fishbase. New species continue to be described.
|
Henry Weed Fowler Henry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan... , 1945 Raúl A. Ringuelet Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet Ph.D. was an Argentinian zoologist.Dr. Ringuelet published more than 100 scientific papers on the Ecology, Limnology, Biogeography, and Conservation of South American freshwaters, and was a mentor to a whole generation of Argentine biologists. Dr... , Miquelarena & Menni, 1978 Carl H. Eigenmann Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time.... & Henn, 1914 Carl H. Eigenmann Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time.... , 1915) Hyphessobrycon minor The minor tetra is a small fish closely resembling its relative the serpae tetra- Origin:The Minor Tetra is native to the Essequibo River in Guyana in South America, while the Serpae Tetra is native to the Rivers Amazon and Paraguay, so in the wild these two very similar species appear to be... Durbin, 1909 Henry Weed Fowler Henry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan... , 1941 Carl H. Eigenmann Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time.... , 1913 Carl H. Eigenmann Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time.... , 1913 Ernst Ahl Christoph Gustav Ernst Ahl was a German zoologist.He was the director of the department of ichthyology and herpetology in the Museum für Naturkunde.... , 1937 (Lemon tetra) Edward Drinker Cope Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen... , 1870) Hyphessobrycon rosaceus The Rosy tetra comes from the South American countries of Guyana and Brazil.- Water Conditions :The Rosy tetra is a tropical fish and a temperature of between 24 and 28 degrees C is suitable... Durbin, 1909 (Rosy tetra) Carl H. Eigenmann Carl H. Eigenmann was an ichthyologist who, along with his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann, described many of the fishes of North America and South America for the first time.... , 1907) Henry Weed Fowler Henry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan... , 1926 Ernst Ahl Christoph Gustav Ernst Ahl was a German zoologist.He was the director of the department of ichthyology and herpetology in the Museum für Naturkunde.... , 1937 (Blackline tetra) Hyphessobrycon sweglesi Hyphessobrycon sweglesi is a species of tetra that live in the Orinoco River drainage basin in South America. The fish has a round black spot behind the gill-plate, a black band on the dorsal fin that is bordered above and below by creamy-white. The other fins are red same as the upper rim of the... (Géry, 1961) (Red phantom tetra) Henry Weed Fowler Henry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan... , 1943) |