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Orestias (Cyprinodontidae)
Encyclopedia
Orestias is a genus of pupfish
. Older systematics classified them into the own family Orestiidae. They are carnivorous plankton
feeders and can reach a length between 9 and 22 centimetres. Their most characteristic feature is the absence of the ventral fin. They are endemic in the Lake Titicaca
and other lakes of the Altiplano
in Peru
, Bolivia
, and Chile
in an altitude up to approximately 3,800 metres asl. Many species of that genus became rare in the past decades due to the competition with introduced fish species, pollution and human activities at the lakes. One species - the Titicaca Orestias
(Orestias cuvieri) - was last seen in 1939 and is probably extinct; several others are known only very restricted ranges (Parenti 1984). Several species are colloquially known as carache.
data; due to hybridization being known to occur (Villwock 1964, Parenti 1984), mtDNA data cannot be relied upon to resolve the evolution of this genus on its own.
Pupfish
Pupfish are a group of small killifish belonging to ten genera of the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish. All pupfish are especially noted for being found in extreme and isolated situations, in various parts of North America, South America, and the Caribbean region...
. Older systematics classified them into the own family Orestiidae. They are carnivorous plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
feeders and can reach a length between 9 and 22 centimetres. Their most characteristic feature is the absence of the ventral fin. They are endemic in the Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
and other lakes of the Altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in an altitude up to approximately 3,800 metres asl. Many species of that genus became rare in the past decades due to the competition with introduced fish species, pollution and human activities at the lakes. One species - the Titicaca Orestias
Titicaca Orestias
The Titicaca Orestias , also known by its native name Amanto, is an extinct freshwater killifish from the genus Orestias, a group of fish which is endemic to the Lake Titicaca and other Altiplano lakes in the Andes...
(Orestias cuvieri) - was last seen in 1939 and is probably extinct; several others are known only very restricted ranges (Parenti 1984). Several species are colloquially known as carache.
Systematics
The following 43 species belonging to the genus Orestias were divided by American ichthyologist Lynne R. Parenti depending on their relationships into four species complexes in 1984. Lüssen (2003) researched the phylogeny of several species including mtDNA sequenceDNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data; due to hybridization being known to occur (Villwock 1964, Parenti 1984), mtDNA data cannot be relied upon to resolve the evolution of this genus on its own.
Agassii species complex
- Orestias agassizii - Carache Negro
- Orestias albus - Carache Amarillo
- Orestias ascotanensis
- Orestias chungarensisOrestias chungarensisOrestias chungarensis is a species of fish in the Cyprinodontidae family. It is endemic to Chile.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
- Orestias ctenolepis
- Orestias elegans
- Orestias empyraeus
- Orestias frontosus
- Orestias gymnotus
- Orestias hardini
- Orestias jussiei - Carache Amarillo
- Orestias lastarriae
- Orestias laucaensisOrestias laucaensisOrestias laucaensis is a species of fish in the Cyprinodontidae family. It is endemic to Chile.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
- Orestias luteus - Carache Amarillo
- Orestias multiporis
- Orestias mundus
- Orestias olivaceus
- Orestias parinacotensisOrestias parinacotensisOrestias parinacotensis is a species of fish in the Cyprinodontidae family. It is endemic to Chile.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
- Orestias polonorum
- Orestias puni
- Orestias richersoni
- Orestias rotundipinnis
- Orestias silustani
- Orestias tschudii
- Orestias ututo
Cuvieri species complex
- Orestias cuvieri - Titicaca Orestias, Amanto; extinct (mid-20th century)
- Orestias forgeti - Ispi
- Orestias ispi - Ispi
- Orestias pentlandii - Boga
Gilsoni species complex
- Orestias gilsoni
- Orestias imarpe
- Orestias minimus
- Orestias minutus
- Orestias mooni
- Orestias robustus
- Orestias taquiri
- Orestias tchernavini
- Orestias tomcooni
- Orestias uruni
Mulleri species complex
- Orestias crawfordi
- Orestias gracilis
- Orestias incae
- Orestias mulleri
- Orestias tutini