Satanoperca

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Satanoperca
Satanoperca leucosticta (1).jpg
S. leucosticta
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Cichlinae
Tribe: Geophagini
Subtribe: Geophagina
Genus: Satanoperca
Günther, 1862
Type species
Geophagus daemon
Heckel, 1840

Satanoperca is a small genus of cichlids from South America, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Nickerie, Amazon and Paraná–Paraguay river basins.[1][2] They are mainly found in areas with slow-moving waters,[3] but some species have also been recorded from rapids.[4]

They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters and feed by picking up mouthfuls of sand to sift out food items such as invertebrates, plant material and detritus (the only exception is mid-water feeding S. acuticeps).[3] They often feed in small groups and one individual may act as a watchman, which will charge an approaching piranha with its mouth open and fins erected. The Satanoperca in the group take turn acting as watchman.[3]

Satanoperca are up to 25.5 cm (10 in) in standard length, but the smallest species reach less than 2⁄3 that size.[2] The species fall into two or three main groups: The S. daemon group (including S. lilith) are relatively large, and have a distinct dark spot on the tail and one or two dark spots on the side of the body. S. acuticeps is rather similar and variably placed in its own group or included in the S. daemon group, but it has three dark spots on the body and a differently shaped mouth. The remaining species are part of the S. jurupari group, which may have a small tail-spot and may have a poorly defined pattern of dark bands or blotches on the body, but always lack distinct dark spots on the body.[5][6][7]

Species[]

There are currently 9 recognized species in this genus.[1][2] Additionally, undescribed species are known.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Satanoperca". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). Species of Satanoperca in FishBase. July 2019 version.
  3. ^ a b c van der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. p. 382. ISBN 978-0691170749.
  4. ^ Kullander, S.O. (2012). "A taxonomic review of Satanoperca (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from French Guiana, South America, with description of a new species". Cybium. 36 (1): 247–262.
  5. ^ Kullander, S.O.; E.J.H. Ferreira (1988). "A new Satanoperca species (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Amazon River Basin in Brazil". Cybium. 12 (4): 343–355.
  6. ^ a b Willis, S.C.; H. López-Fernández; C.G. Montaña; I.P. Farias; G. Ortí (2012). "Species-level phylogeny of 'Satan's perches' based on discordant gene trees (Teleostei: Cichlidae: Satanoperca Günther 1862)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (3): 798–808. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.02.018. PMID 22406409.
  7. ^ a b Ota, R.R.; S.O. Kullander; G.C. Deprá; W.J. da Graça; C.S. Pavanelli (2018). "Satanoperca curupira, a new cichlid species from the rio Madeira basin in Brazil (Teleostei: Cichlidae)". Zootaxa. 4379 (1): 103–112. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4379.1.6. PMID 29689976.


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