Sarcoglanidinae

Taxobox
name = Sarcoglanidinae
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Trichomycteridae
subfamilia = Sarcoglanidinae
subfamilia_authority = Myers & Weitzman, 1966
type_genus = "Sarcoglanis"
type_genus_authority = Myers & Weitzman, 1966
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Ammoglanis"
"Malacoglanis"
"Microcambeva"
"Sarcoglanis"
"Stauroglanis"
"Stenolicmus"

Sarcoglanidinae is a subfamily of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae. It includes six genera, "Ammoglanis", "Malacoglanis", "Microcambeva", "Sarcoglanis", "Stauroglanis", and "Stenolicmus".cite book|title=Fishes of the World|last=Nelson|first=Joseph S.|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc|year=2006|isbn=0-471-25031-7]

Taxonomy

Sarcoglanidinae was first established in 1966 for "Sarcoglanis simplex" and "Malacoglanis gelatinosus". A third species of the subfamily, "Stauroglanis gouldingi", was described about 25 years later.cite journal|url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5105/1/N2950.pdf|title=A New Sarcoglanidine Catfish, Phylogeny of Its Subfamily, and an Appraisal of the Phyletic Status of the Trichomycterinae (Teleostei, Trichomycteridae)|first=Mario C. C.|last=de Pinna|journal=American Museum Novitates|issue=2950|pages=1–39|date=August 9, 1989|format=PDF] Descriptions of additional species have followed, though most genera remain monotypic.cite journal|title=Natural history of "Stauroglanis gouldingi" (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), a miniature sand-dwelling candiru from central Amazonian streamlets|first=Jansen|last=Zuanon|coauthors=Sazima, Ivan|journal=Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters|volume=15|issue=3|pages=201–208|date=September 2004] The relationships of the genus "Ammoglanis" with other sarcoglanidines are not well-established; however, this genus is currently included within Sarcoglanidinae.cite journal|url=http://wfsc.tamu.edu/winemiller/lab/DePinna&W-Ammoglanis-IEFW00.pdf|title=A New Species of "Ammoglanis" (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from Venezuela|journal=Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters|volume=11|issue=3|pages=255–264|date=November 2000|format=PDF]

This subfamily has been proposed to have a sister group relationship to Glanapteryginae. Like the members of this subfamily, many glanapterygines are sand-dwelling fish.cite journal|url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5665/1/N3496.pdf|title=New and Noteworthy Venezuelan Glanapterygine Catfishes (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae), with Discussion of Their Biogeography and Psammophily|first=Scott A.|last=Schaefer|coauthors=Provenzano, Francisco; de Pinna, Mario; Baskin, Jonathan N.|journal=American Museum Novitates|issue=3496|pages=1–27|date=November 29, 2005|format=PDF]

Distribution and habitat

All genera except "Microcambeva" are endemic to the Amazon River; "Microcambeva" species are known from southeastern Brazil. Despite their scarcity in museum collections, it has been suggested that it is possible that sarcoglanidines occur throughout the entire Amazon basin as well as the Orinoco basins.

Sarcoglanidines usually live in sandy banks of rivers and streams. They are sand-dwellers that feed on minute arthropods.

Description

Sarcoglanidines are all very small (to the extent of some species being considered "miniaturized"), usually not exceeding 25 millimetres (1.0 in) SL; "Microcambeva ribeirae" is the largest species, reaching 48 mm (1.9 in) SL. All except one species are poorly pigmented, with a translucent body in life. The three pairs of barbels present in other trichomycterids are also present in these fish, though nasal barbels tend to be reduced. In addition, some taxa have barbel-like structures on the ventral surface of the head. "Sarcoglanis simplex" and "Malacoglanis gelatinosus" possess an uncommonly deep body, a hypertrophied sac-like adipose organ above the pectoral fin, and the absence of premaxillary teeth. These two species along with "Stauroglanis gouldingi" have few or no opercular and interopercular odontodes.cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2004f/zt00563.pdf|title="Microcambeva ribeirae" sp. n. (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae): a new sarcoglanidine catfish from the Rio Ribeira do Iguape basin, southeastern Brazil|first=Wilson J.E.M.|last=Costa|coauthors=Lima, Sérgio M.Q.; Bizerril, Carlos Roberto S.F.|journal=Zootaxa|volume=563|pages=1–10|year=2004|format=PDF]

The subfamily has been characterized, among other things, by a toothless upper jaw, the presence of an adiposelike fin, and the pectoral-fin rays projecting beyond the fin membrane.

References