Stegophilinae

Taxobox
name = Stegophilinae
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Trichomycteridae
subfamilia = Stegophilinae
subfamilia_authority = Günther, 1864
type_genus = "Stegophilus"
type_genus_authority = Reinhardt, 1859
subdivision_ranks = GeneraITIS|ID=638831|taxon=Stegophilinae|year=2007|date=July 12]
subdivision = "Acanthopoma"
"Apomatoceros"
"Haemomaster"
"Henonemus"
"Homodiaetus"
"Megalocentor"
"Ochmacanthus"
"Parastegophilus"
"Pareiodon"
"Pseudostegophilus"
"Schultzichthys"
"Stegophilus"

Stegophilinae is a subfamily of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae.

It includes twelve genera, "Acanthopoma", "Apomatoceros", "Haemomaster", "Henonemus", "Homodiaetus", "Megalocentor", "Ochmacanthus", "Parastegophilus", "Pareiodon", "Pseudostegophilus", "Schultzichthys", and "Stegophilus". A monophyletic group within Stegophilinae is supported by two characteristics of the lateral line, including "Acanthopoma", "Henonemus", "Megalocentor", "Pareiodon", "Parastegophilus", and "Pseudostegophilus". "Acanthopoma" and "Henonemus" have a sister group relationship.

The subfamily Stegophilinae is widely distributed in the main South American river basins, including the Amazon, Orinoco, São Francisco, Paraná-Paraguay and those of southern Brazil.cite journal|url=http://www.scielo.br/pdf/isz/v92n3/12975.pdf|title=Revisão Taxonômica do Gênero "Homodiaetus" (Teleostei, Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae) (Portuguese)|first=Walter Rudolf|last=Koch|journal=Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre|volume=92|issue=3|pages=33–46|date=30 September 2002|format=PDF] Eight of the genera are distributed in Venezuela.

Stegophilines are sometimes considered candirú, and are considered parasites or semi-parasites, because of their peculiar habit of feeding on scales, mucus, or skin of other fishes.cite journal|title=The Genus "Henonemus" (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) with a Description of a New Species from Venezuela|first=Carlos|last=DoNascimiento|coauthors=Provenzano, Francisco|journal=Copeia|year=2006|issue=2|pages=198–205|doi=10.1643/0045-8511(2006)6 [198:TGHSTW] 2.0.CO;2|volume=2006|doilabel=10.1643/0045-8511(2006)6[198:TGHSTW]2.0.CO;2]

References