Kingdom Animalia Order Siluriformes Subfamily Hypostominae Higher classification Hypostominae | Phylum Chordata Family Loricariidae Scientific name Corymbophanes Rank Genus | |
Tribe Corymbophanini
Armbruster, 2004 Similar Loricariidae, Catfish, Hypostominae, Exastilithoxus, Isbrueckerichthys | ||
Corymbophanes is a genus of armored catfish native to South America where they are only known from Guyana. Corymbophanes is the only genus within the tribe Corymbophanini.
Contents
Taxonomy
Corymbophanes and its type species, C. andersoni, were first described in 1909 by Carl H. Eigenmann. In 2000, they were redescribed along with the description of a new species, C. kaiei. In 2004, the tribe Corymbophanini was erected.
Corymbophanes represents an old lineage as it lacks many of the characteristics of the rest of the subfamily Hypostominae. This group probably has a basal position within the subfamily.
Species
There are currently two recognized species in this genus:
Distribution and habitat
Corymbophanes species originate from the upper Potaro River of the Essequibo River drainage system. C. andersoni is only known from the Chenapou Falls of this river. C. kaiei is only known from the Oung Creek, a small tributary of the Potaro River drainage. Neither of these species are found downstream of the Kaieteur Falls. Corymbophanes species live in swift riffles over gravel and cobble and among submerged logs.
Appearance and anatomy
Like other Loricariids, Corymbophanes species have plates of armor on their body and a suckermouth. Small odontodes are also present along their body. This genus can be distinguished from all other Loricariids by the presences of a dorsal ridge formed by plates between the dorsal fin and the caudal fin, the absence of the adipose fin, as well as the absence of the omega iris that most loricariids possess. Corymbophanes species do not have evertible cheek plates and do not hypertrophied cheek odontodes which are present in many other loricariid species, which differentiates it from the few species that possess the aforementioend ridge.
Species of this genus do not get very large; C. andersoni does not exceed 8.6 centimetres (3.4 in) and C. kaiei does not exceed 6.6 cm (2.6 in). These fish are dark brown to black with white or cream-colored markings. C. kaiei has alternating light and dark bands on its caudal fin; also, this species has a dark-colored abdomen with light vermiculations in adults. By contrast, C. andersoni has no bands on the caudal fin, has no vermiculations, and the abdomen is light-colored.