Crenicichla Explained

Crenicichla is a genus of cichlids native to South America commonly known as the pike cichlids. They are found in most tropical and subtropical freshwater habitats between the Andes and the Atlantic.[1]

Description

The smallest species of Crenicichla are no larger than 6-[2] and may be referred to as "dwarf cichlids" for the aquarium hobby  - though their aggressive and territorial habits make them unsuitable for novice keepers. The smallest members, 5.2to and formerly the C. wallacii species complex was split off to Wallaciia in 2023. The largest pike cichlids can grow to about 50cm (20inches) long.[2] Most Crenicichla measure in the range of 15-. Like many other predatory fishes, a pike cichlid has a wide mouth and elongated body.

Distribution and ecology

The genus Crenicichla is native to freshwater in tropical and subtropical South America east of the Andes, ranging from Trinidad and the Guiana Shield (including Orinoco), through the Amazon and Río de la Plata Basins, south as far as Río Negro in Argentina.[3] Although widespread as a group, the individual species are often restricted to a single river or river basin.[3] [4] They are found in a wide range of habitats, including rivers, streams, pools and lakes; some species are rheophilic.[3] [4]

The vast majority of pike cichlids are predatory and feed on fish, insects, and other small animals. They usually place themselves where they can stay undetected by the prey, like close to a sunken tree stem or behind a rock. This behavior, as well as the correspondingly adapted shape, which resembles that the unrelated pikes (Esocidae) of the Holarctic, gives the pike cichlids their common name. An exception is C. tapii, which is similar in general appearance to other pike cichlids, but unusual for being gregarious and feeding on periphyton.[4]

Species

There are currently 94 recognized species in this genus:

In addition to these, several undescribed species are known.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Kullander. Sven O.. Lucena. Carlos A. Santos de. A review of the species of Crenicichla (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Atlantic coastal rivers of southeastern Brazil from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul States, with descriptions of three new species. Neotropical Ichthyology. June 2006. 4. 2. 127–146. 10.1590/s1679-62252006000200001. free.
  2. Gottwald, J: Crenicichla arten.
  3. Piálek. Lubomír. Říčan. Oldřich. Casciotta. Jorge. Almirón. Adriana. Zrzavý. Jan. Multilocus phylogeny of Crenicichla (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with biogeography of the C. lacustris group: Species flocks as a model for sympatric speciation in rivers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. January 2012. 62. 1. 46–61. 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.09.006. 21971056. free. 2012MolPE..62...46P .
  4. Piálek, L., Dragová, K., Casciotta, J., Almirón, A. & Říčan, O. (2015): Description of two new species of Crenicichla (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the lower Iguazú River with a taxonomic reappraisal of C. iguassuensis, C. tesay and C. yaha. Historia Natural, 5(2): 5–27.
  5. Varella. Henrique R.. Kullander. Sven O.. Lima. Flávio C. T.. Crenicichla chicha, a new species of pike cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the rio Papagaio, upper rio Tapajós basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology. 2012. 10. 2. 233–244. 10.1590/s1679-62252012000200002. free.
  6. KULLANDER. SVEN O.. DE LUCENA. CARLOS A. SANTOS. Crenicichla gillmorlisi, a new species of cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Paraná river drainage in Paraguay. Zootaxa. 23 April 2013. 3641. 2. 149–64. 10.11646/zootaxa.3641.2.3. 26287074. free.
  7. Mattos, J.L., Schindler, I., Ottoni, F.P. & Cheffe, M.M. (2014): A new species of Crenicichla from the upper Rio das Antas basin, dos Patos lagoon system, southern Brazil (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 64 (1): 35–42.
  8. Kullander. Sven O.. Varella. Henrique R.. Wallace's Pike Cichlid Gets a Name after 160 Years: A New Species of Cichlid Fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Upper Rio Negro in Brazil. Copeia. September 2015. 103. 3. 512–519. 10.1643/ci-14-169.
  9. CASCIOTTA. JORGE. ALMIRÓN. ADRIANA. AICHINO. DANILO. GÓMEZ. SERGIO. PIÁLEK. LUBOMÍR. ŘÍČAN. OLDŘICH. Crenicichla taikyra (Teleostei: Cichlidae), a new species of pike cichlid from the middle río Paraná, Argentina. Zootaxa. 16 October 2013. 3721. 4. 379–86. 10.11646/zootaxa.3721.4.5. 26120682.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Crenicichla".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.