Pimelodidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Osteichthyes
Classis: Actinopterygii
Subclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Superordo: Ostariophysi
Ordo: Siluriformes
Familia: Pimelodidae
Genera: Aguarunichthys - Bagropsis - Bergiaria - Brachyplatystoma - Calophysus - Cheirocerus - Conorynchus - Duopalatinus - Exallodontus - Hemisorubim - Hypophthalmus - Iheringichthys - Leiarius - Luciopimelodus - Megalonema - Parapimelodus - Perrunichthys - Phractocephalus - Pimelodina - Pimelodus - Pinirampus - Platynematichthys - Platysilurus - Platystomatichthys - Propimelodus - Pseudoplatystoma - Rhamdia - Sorubim - Sorubimichthys - Steindachneridion - Zungaro

Vernacular names

References

* R. Froese and D. Pauly: Editors. 2006. FishBase, version (02/2006). [1]

Pimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, is a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes).

Taxonomy

Pimelodidae has undergone much revision. Currently, the family contains about 30 genera and about 90 recognized and known but unnamed species.[2] The low-eye catfish (previously family Hypophthalmidae), and thus the genus Hypophthalmus which contains four species, was reclassified with the Pimelodids.[3]

This family previously included fish that are now classified under Pseudopimelodidae (previously subfamily Pseudopimelodinae) and Heptapteridae (previously subfamily Rhamdiinae).[3] This family also previously included Conorhynchos conirostris, currently incertae sedis.[4] However, a molecular analysis has shown unequivocal support for monophyly of the individual families and the genus Conorhynchos into a clade called Pimelodoidea, including Pimelodidae + Pseudopimelodidae and Heptapteridae + Conorhynchos.[5]

Some genera have relatively recently been synonymized. Merodontotus and Goslinia are now both included under Brachyplatystoma.[6] Also, Paulicea is now a synonym of Zungaro.[3]

There are six main groups within Pimelodidae; these are Steindachneridion, the Phractocephalus-Leiarius group, the Pimelodus group, the Calophysus group, Zungaro, and the Sorubim group.[6] The Pimelodus group includes Pimelodus, Exallodontus, Duopalatinus, Cheirocerus, Iheringichthys, Bergiaria, Bagropsis, Parapimelodus, Platysilurus, Platystomatichthys, and Propimelodus.[7] The Calophysus group includes the five genera Aguarunichthys, Pimelodina, Calophysus, Luciopimelodus, and Pinirampus.[8]

The relationships within each genus are still being studied. Most genera lack a hypothesis for monophyly.[9]

Distribution

All species of Pimelodidae are found in South America and the lower Isthmian region.[2] Their range reaches from South America and Panama north to southernmost Mexico.[3]

Description

Many long-whiskered catfishes grow to be very large, including the Piraiba, Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, reaching about 3 m in length. They have three pairs of barbels, with maxillary barbels that may reach the length of the fish's body. Like many other catfish, their bodies lack scales. The adipose fin is well developed.[3]

Many species of Pimelodidae have juvenile forms that appear different from their adult forms in color pattern as well as body shape.[10] Brachyplatystoma have specialized pelagic young with greatly elongated barbels and fin filaments, and strongly ornamented pectoral spines. Other large pimelodids, such as Pseudoplatystoma, Sorubim, and Sorubimichthys, whose young inhabit vegetated, marginal waters, have distinctive cryptic coloration patterns and much enlarged caudal and pectoral fins.[11]

Ecology

They are generally bottom-living fish, though some are pelagic and probably filter-feeders.[3] They do not guard their young.[4]

Relationship to humans

Because of their large size in many species, Pimelodids are an important food fish in South America. Many species have been hybridized through the use of hormones in an effort to get even larger fish. This same size factor also makes Pimelodids very popular for sport fishing.

Pimelodids are a common addition to Amazonian-themed exhibits in zoos and public aquaria.

Despite the looming danger of size in many species, Pimelodids remain a popular home aquarium fish. Controversy exists over whether or not many of the larger Pimelodid species should be sold in the hobby because of their large adult size. Also, there is some disagreement over hybrids appearing in the hobby as well. Many species are hardy and easy to take care of. However, care should of course be taken on what other fish to house Pimelodids with, as they won't hesitate to eat other fish that are small enough.

References

1. ^ Garavello, Julio Cesar (2005). "Revision of genus Steindachneridion (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae)" (PDF). Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (4): 607–623. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000400018. http://www.ufrgs.br/ni/vol3num4%5CNI_v3n4p607-623lowr.pdf.
2. ^ a b Buitrago-Suárez, Uriel Angel; Burr, Brooks M. (2007). "Taxonomy of the catfish genus Pseudoplatystoma Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) with recognition of eight species" (PDF). Zootaxa 1512: 1–38. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01512p038.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
3. ^ a b c d e f Nelson, Joseph, S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. ISBN 0471250317.
4. ^ a b Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Pimelodidae" in FishBase. Mar 2007 version.
5. ^ Sullivan, JP; Lundberg JG; Hardman M (2006). "A phylogenetic analysis of the major groups of catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using rag1 and rag2 nuclear gene sequences". Mol Phylogenet Evol. 41 (3): 636–62. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.044. PMID 16876440.
6. ^ a b Lundberg, John G.; Akama, Alberto (2005). "Brachyplatystoma capapretum: a New Species of Goliath Catfish from the Amazon Basin, with a Reclassification of Allied Catfishes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae)" (PDF). Copeia 2005 (3): 492–516. doi:10.1643/CI-04-036R1. http://www.bioone.org/archive/0045-8511/2005/3/pdf/i0045-8511-2005-3-492.pdf.
7. ^ Lundberg, John G.; Parisi, Béatrice M. (2002). "Propimelodus, new genus, and redescription of Pimelodus eigenmanni Van der Stigchel 1946, a long-recognized yet poorly-known South American catfish (Pimelodidae: Siluriformes)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 152: 75–88. doi:10.1635/0097-3157(2002)152[0075:PNGARO]2.0.CO;2. http://www.bioone.org/archive/0097-3157/152/1/pdf/i0097-3157-152-1-75.pdf.
8. ^ Stewart, Donald J. (1986). "Revision of Pimelodina and Description of a New Genus and Species from the Peruvian Amazon (Pisces: Pimelodidae)". Copeia 1986 (3): 653–672. doi:10.2307/1444947. http://jstor.org/stable/1444947.
9. ^ Ribeiro, Frank R.V.; Lucena, Carlos A. S.; Lucinda, Paulo H. F. (2008). "Three new Pimelodus species (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the rio Tocantins drainage, Brazil". Neotropical Ichthyology 6 (3): 455–464. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252008000300019.
10. ^ Lundberg, John G.; Nass, Pedro; Mago-Leccia, Francisco (1989). "Pteroglanis manni Eigenmann and Pearson, a Juvenile of Sorubimichthys planiceps (Agassiz), with a Review of the Nominal Species of Sorubimichthys (Pisces: Pimelodidae)". Copeia 1989 (2): 332–344. doi:10.2307/1445429. http://jstor.org/stable/1445429.
11. ^ Lundberg, John G.; Berra, Tim M.; Friel, John P. (March 2004). "First description of small juveniles of the primitive catfish Diplomystes (Siluriformes: Diplomystidae)" (PDF). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 15 (1): 71–82. http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~tberra/pdf-files/Diplomystes.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-24. [dead link]