Pterobunocephalus
John P. Friel
- Pterobunocephalus depressus (Haseman, 1910)
- Pterobunocephalus dolichurus (Delsman 1941)
Introduction
This genus is rare in museum collections but is widespread in the Orinoco, Amazon and Paraguay-Parana River systems. Based on my trawl collecting experiences they typically occur in waters >5 m in depth.
Characteristics
Diagnosis
A genus of small to medium sized banjo-catfishes (up to 90 mm SL) distinguished from all other aspredinids by the following characters: head and body extremely depressed; head ornamentation highly reduced or absent; often a distinct notch in upper jaw; laminar process of pterotic needle-like and directed at a shape right angle; 10-20 anal fin rays; and females carry embryos directly attached to the ventral surface of their bodies as shown below.
References
Delsman, H. C. 1941. Fishes of the Amazone River. Méroires du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, deuxième series, fasc. 21: 77-81.
Fowler, H. W. 1943. Zoological results of the second Bolivian expedition for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1936-1937. Part II. Additional new fishes. Notulae Naturae, (120): 1-7.
Friel, J. 1994. A phylogenetic study of the Neotropical banjo catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Aspredinidae) Ph.D. thesis, Duke University, Durham, NC, 256 pp.
Haseman, J. D. 1911. Descriptions of some new species of fishes and miscellaneous notes on others obtained during the expedition of the Carnegie Museum to central South America. Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 7(3-4): 315-328.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Pterobunocephalus |
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| Image Use |
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| Copyright |
© 1995 John P. Friel
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About This Page
John P. Friel
Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, Ithaca, New York, USA
Page copyright © 2009 John P. Friel
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- First online 05 July 1995
- Content changed 14 April 2000
Citing this page:
Friel, John P. 2000. Pterobunocephalus . Version 14 April 2000 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Pterobunocephalus/15260/2000.04.14 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
