English: Characins.
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Recen.
Genera: 270; 2000 species; 18 recognized families.
Clades: Otophysi; Ostariophysi.
Region: Neotropics, South and Central America, Africa, Asia.
Habitat: lakes and rivers, fresh water; extinct species were probably either brackish or marine.
Members: characins, their allies, piranha, tetras.
ZoologyRay-finned fish; small shoaling fish; they have a Weberian apparatus, a series of bony parts connecting the swim bladder and inner ear; most have teeth within the mouth; covered in well-defined scales; mouth is also usually not truly protractile.
Size: 1.7 to 120 cm.
Fins: small, fleshy adipose fin between the dorsal fin and tail.
Food: carnivorous
Use: food or game; popular in aquaria due to their bright colors, general hardiness, tolerance towards other fish.
TaxonomyThe
Characiformes form the Otophysi with 3 other orders,
Cypriniformes,
Siluriformes,
Gymnotiformes.
Characiformes form a group known as the Characiphysi with the
Siluriformes and
Gymnotiformes, sister to the orders
Siluriformes.
Originally, the characins were all grouped within a single family, the
Characidae. Since then, 18 different families have been separated out.
Families • Acestrorhynchidae
• Alestidae
•
Anostomidae • Bryconidae
• Chalceidae
•
Characidae • Chilodontidae
• Crenuchidae
• Ctenoluciidae
•
Curimatidae • Cynodontidae
• Erythrinidae
• Gasteropelecidae
• Hemiodontidae
• Hepsetidae
• Iguanodectidae
• Lebiasinidae
•
Parodontidae •
Prochilodontidae •
Serrasalmidae • Tarumaniidae
• Triportheidae
Suborder Citharinoidei
• Distichodontidae
• Citharinidae.