Astroblepus Explained

Astroblepus is a genus of fish in the family Astroblepidae found in South America and Panama. This genus is the only member of its family. These catfishes are primarily found in torrential streams in the Andean area. Astroblepus pholeter and A. riberae are troglobites adapted to living in subterranean water systems.[1] These species are typically small, less than 10abbr=onNaNabbr=on. The largest species reaches 30abbr=onNaNabbr=on. These fish have suckermouths like those of loricariids. They have two pairs of barbels, maxillary and nasal. The dorsal fin spine lacks a locking mechanism. These fish also have odontodes, tiny teeth on their skin. All species exhibit a conical, pointy type on their fin rays like that found in other loricarioids; other species also exhibit a blunt type that is only found on their skin.[2]

Some of these fish are able to live in high altitude and climb the faces of waterfalls.[2] Their climbing ability comes from specially developed pelvic fins, as well as their suckermouths.[2] In their Neotropical Andean habitat, dry and wet seasons are quite extreme, and odontodes may help in sensing food, mates and water flow, as well as help cling to surfaces.[2] They feed upon invertebrates, such as caterpillars and annelids.[2]

The Astroblepidae were usually placed within Siluriformes as the sister family of Loricariidae,[3] [4] but a recent study found them to be more closely related to the family Scoloplacidae.[5] [6]

Species

There are currently 80 recognized species in this genus:

Notes and References

  1. Book: Romero, A. . 2001 . The biology of hypogean fishes. Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes . Springer Netherlands . 376 . 978-1-4020-0076-8 .
  2. Schaefer . S.A. . Buitrago-Suárez . U.A. . 2002 . Odontode morphology and skin surface features of Andean astroblepid catfishes (Siluriformes, Astroblepidae) . Journal of Morphology . 254 . 2. 139–148 . 10.1002/jmor.10024. 12353298 . 27019672 .
  3. Diogo. Rui. 2004-11-01. Phylogeny, origin and biogeography of catfishes: support for a Pangean origin of 'modern teleosts' and reexamination of some Mesozoic Pangean connections between the Gondwanan and Laurasian supercontinents. Animal Biology. 54. 4. 331–351. 10.1163/1570756042729546. 1570-7563.
  4. Sullivan. John P.. Lundberg. John G.. Hardman. Michael. A phylogenetic analysis of the major groups of catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using rag1 and rag2 nuclear gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 41. 3. 636–662. 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.044. 16876440. 2006.
  5. Rivera-Rivera. Carlos J.. Montoya-Burgos. Juan I.. 2017-10-25. Trunk dental tissue evolved independently from underlying dermal bony plates but is associated with surface bones in living odontode-bearing catfish. Proc. R. Soc. B. en. 284. 1865. 20171831. 10.1098/rspb.2017.1831. 0962-8452. 29046381. 5666107.
  6. Rivera-Rivera. Carlos J.. Montoya-Burgos. Juan I.. October 2018. Back to the roots: Reducing evolutionary rate heterogeneity among sequences gives support for the early morphological hypothesis of the root of Siluriformes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127. 272–279. 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.004. 29885935. 47014511 . 1055-7903. free.
  7. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2011): Astroblepus itae, Astroblepus acostai. Dos nuevas especies del Río Cáchira y Río Sinú, Colombia. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 16 pp.
  8. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2015): Five new species of astroblepid fish for Colombian Andes. Revista de la Asociación Colombiana de Ciencias Biológicas, 27 (1): 124-135.
  9. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2012): Astroblepus ardilai sp. nov. Una nuevas especie de pez del los Andes del Municipio de Floridablanca, Departamento de Norte de Santander – Colombia. Peces del Departamento de Santander – Colombia, 5: 1-21.
  10. Ardila Rodríguez . C.A. . 2011 . Astroblepus cacharas (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Astroblepidae), nueva especie del río Cáchira, cuenca del río Magdalena, Colombia . Dahlia . 11 . 23–33 .
  11. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2013): Astroblepus hidalgoi – A. floridaensis – A. huallagaensis y A. cajamarcaensis: Cuatro nuevas especies de los Andes del Peru. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 22pp.
  12. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2014): Astroblepus tamboensis – A. chinchaoensis y A. moyanensis: Tres nuevas especies de los Andes del Peru. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 22pp.
  13. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2015): Astroblepus verai sp. nov. – A. pradai, A. curitiensis y A. onzagaensis. Cuatro nuevas especies del Departamento de Santander – Colombia. Barranquilla, Departamento del Atlántico, 2015 (7): 1-24.
  14. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2016): Astroblepus floridablancaensis sp. nov. una nueva Especie de Janbonero (Siluriformes: Astroblepidae) del Municipio de Floridablanca, Departamento de Santander – Colombia. Peces del Departamento de Santander – Colombia, 8: 1-20.
  15. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2013): Astroblepus martinezi y Astroblepus jimenezae: Dos nuevas especies del Río Sinú y Río Atrato, Colombia. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 20pp.
  16. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2014): Astroblepus mendezi sp. nov. una nueva especie de pez de Panamá. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 17pp.
  17. Ardila Rodríguez, C.A. (2012): Astroblepus ortegai y Astroblepus quispei. Dos nuevas especies des los Andes del Perú. Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla. Barranquilla, Colombia. 16 pp.

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