Sternarchella Explained

Sternarchella, the bulldog knifefish, is a genus of ghost knifefishes found at depths of NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on in the main channel of large rivers in South America.^{[1] [2]} Most are from the Amazon basin, but S. orthos is found both in the Amazon and Orinoco, S. orinoco is restricted to the Orinoco and S. curvioperculata restricted to the upper Paraná basin (however, the last species likely belongs in another genus, possibly Apteronotus).^{[2] [3]} They are often common in their habitat.^{[1] [4]}

They have a blunt or pointed snout (none have the greatly elongated snout found in some other knifefish), reduced pigmentation and reach up to NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on in total length depending on the species.^{[1] [2]} They feed on invertebrates and small fish.^[1]

Species

The following species are currently placed in this genus.^[3] Two species that formerly comprised their own genus Magosternarchus were recently included in Sternarchella^{[2] [3] [5]}

• Sternarchella calhamazon Lundberg, Cox Fernandes, Campos-da-Paz & Sullivan, 2013^[4]
• Sternarchella curvioperculata Godoy (pt), 1968 – likely does not belong in this genus, closer to Apteronotus^{[2] [3]}
• Sternarchella duccis Lundberg, Cox Fernandes & Albert
• Sternarchella orinoco Mago-Leccia, 1994
• Sternarchella patriciae Evans, Crampton & Albert 2017^[2]
• Sternarchella raptor Lundberg, Cox Fernandes & Albert
• Sternarchella rex Evans, Crampton & Albert 2017^[2]
• Sternarchella schotti (Steindachner, 1868)
• Sternarchella sima Starks, 1913
• Sternarchella terminalis (C. H. Eigenmann & W. R. Allen, 1942)

Notes and References

1. Book: van der Sleen, P. . J.S. Albert . 2017 . Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas . Princeton University Press . 329 . 978-0691170749 .
2. Evans, K.M. . W.G.R. Crampton . J.S. Albert . 2017 . Taxonomic revision of the deep channel electric fish genus Sternarchella (Teleostei: Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae), with descriptions of two new species . Neotropical Ichthyology . 15 . 2 . e160168 . 10.1590/1982-0224-20160168 . free .
3. Web site: Eschmeyer, W.N. . R. Fricke . R. van der Laan . 7 May 2018 . Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . 7 May 2018 .
4. Lundberg, J.G., Cox Fernandes, C., Campos-Da-Paz, R. & Sullivan, J.P. (2013): Sternarchella calhamazon n. sp., the Amazon’s most abundant species of apteronotid electric fish, with a note on the taxonomic status of Sternarchus capanemae Steindachner, 1868 (Gymnotiformes, Apteronotidae). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 162: 157-173.
5. Ferraris Jr, C.J. . C.D. de Santana . R.P. Vari . 2017 . Checklist of Gymnotiformes (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi) and catalogue of primary types . Neotrop. Ichthyol. . 15 . 1 . 10.1590/1982-0224-20160067 . free .