Family Acestrorhynchidae - Smallscale pike characins
  Order
:
Acestrorhynchidae
  Class
:
Teleostei
No. in FishBase
:
Genera : 7 | Species : 26 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
  Environment
:
Fresh : Yes | Brackish : No | Marine : No
  Division
:
Primary freshwater
  Aquarium
:
  First Fossil Record
:
     
  Remark
:
Fishes of this family are characterized by very elongate (pike-like) bodies covered with relatively small scales. All teeth are conical and strong canines are present on the premaxilla, anterior part of the maxilla and the dentary. Small conical teeth are present on the ectopterygoid and minute conical teeth have been detected on the mesopterygoid of some species. Other exclusive features of the group are: first infraorbital covering almost completely the maxilla whent the mouth is closed; a branch of the laterosensory canal on the premaxilla; and rhinosphenoid bone in close contact with parasphenoid. The anal fin is falcate, never bearing hooks in sexually mature males and the origin of the dorsal fin is much nearer to caudal base than the tip of the snout. See Menezes (1969), Menezes (1992), Menezes & Géry (1983), Toledo-Piza & Menezes (1996) and Lucena & Menezes (1998). The single genus Acestrorhynchus is currently represented by 15 species ranging from about 35 to 400 mm in standard length. Acestrorhynchid species are entirely confined to South America and the greatest species diversity occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Three species occur further south in the São Francisco, Paraná, Paraguay and La Plata drainages. They are found in a variety of habitats, but primarily live in lakes, lagoons, areas near shore, and the smallest species are especially found in small streams (igarapés) of the Amazon basin (personal observation and see also Britski et al., 1986). The peculiar dentition makes acestrorhynchid species very specialized predators among characiforms, most species feeding primarily on fishes. See Menezes, 1969a, Nico & Taphorn, 1985 and Amaral, 1990. After the major revision of Acestrorhynchus and the description of some new species (Menezes & Gery, 1983; Toledo-Piza & Menezes, 1996) not many new species are expected to be found. Acestrorhynchids are not commercially important as food fishes and two of the smallest species (A. nasutus and A. minimus) might be eventually found in aquarium shops. Suggested new common name for this family from Ref. 58418.
  Etymology
:
Greek, akestra, as = needle + Greek, rhyngchos = jaw ( Ref. 45335).
  Reproductive guild
:
  Typical activity level
:
  Main Ref.
:
  Coordinator
:
  Deep Fin Classification
:
Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Otomorpha | Ostariophysi | | Otophysa | | | | | | Characiphysae | Characiformes | Characoidei | | Acestrorhynchidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

 
Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]
Glossary
[ e.g. cephalopods]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Acestrorhynchidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Acestrorhynchinae
acceptedseniornew
Salmo falcatus Bloch, 1794
synonymseniororiginal
Salmo pulverulentus Linnaeus, 1758
synonymjuniororiginal
Xiphorhamphus ferox Günther, 1863
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniornew
synonymseniornew
acceptedseniornew
Hydrocyon microlepis Jardine, 1841
synonymseniororiginal
! Acestorhynchus microlepis (Jardine, 1841)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus apurensis Toledo-Piza & Menezes, 1996
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus nasutus Eigenmann, 1912
acceptedseniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus altus Menezes, 1969
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus grandoculis Menezes & Géry, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus isalineae Menezes & Géry, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal
Acestrorhynchus maculipinna Menezes & Géry, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Heterocharacinae
Heterocharax macrolepis Eigenmann, 1912
acceptedseniororiginal
Heterocharax leptogrammus Toledo-Piza, 2000
acceptedseniororiginal
Heterocharax virgulatus Toledo-Piza, 2000
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Lonchogenys ilisha Myers, 1927
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Roestinae
Roestes molossus (Kner, 1858)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Roestes ogilviei (Fowler, 1914)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Roestes itupiranga Menezes & Lucena, 1998
acceptedseniororiginal
Gilbertolus alatus (Steindachner, 1878)
acceptedseniornew
Anacyrtus alatus Steindachner, 1878
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniorchange in rank
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniorchange in rank
synonymseniororiginal
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