Hydrolycus

Hydrolycus is a genus of large dogtooth characins from tropical South America, where found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas.[1] The genus includes the largest dogtooth characins, reaching up to 1.17 m (3.8 ft) in length.[1] They have long, pointed teeth (shorter and less extreme in H. wallacei) used for spearing their prey, generally smaller fish.[2] In a study of the stomachs of 45 individuals, most were empty, but among the remaining the prey fish were 15–50% of the length Hydrolycus itself.[3]

Hydrolycus
Hydrolycus scomberoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Cynodontidae
Subfamily: Cynodontinae
Genus: Hydrolycus
(J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844)

In 1999 two new species were described, the first in this genus in 158 years.[1][2]

Species

There are currently four described species.[1]

References

  1. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). Species of Hydrolycus in FishBase. January 2017 version.
  2. Toledo-Piza, M.; N.A. Menezes; and G.M. Santos (1999). "Revision of the Neotropical fish genus Hydrolycus (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Cynodontidae) with the description of two new species". Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 10 (3): 255–280.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Goulding, M (1980). The Fishes and the Forest: Explorations in Amazonian Natural History. University of California Press. pp. 185–186. ISBN 0-520-04131-3.


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