Homodiaetus

Taxobox
name = "Homodiaetus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Trichomycteridae
subfamilia = Stegophilinae
genus = "Homodiaetus"
genus_authority = Eigenmann & Ward, 1907
type_species = "Homodiaetus anisitsi"
type_species_authority = Eigenmann & Ward, 1907
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision =
"Homodiaetus anisitsi"
Eigenmann & Ward, 1907
"Homodiaetus banguela"
Koch, 2002
"Homodiaetus graciosa"
Koch, 2002
"Homodiaetus passarellii"
(Miranda Ribeiro, 1944)

"Homodiaetus" is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Trichomycteridae. It includes four species, "H. anisitsi", "H. banguela", "H. graciosa", and "H. passarellii".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] cite journal|url=http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf|title=Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types|first=Carl J., Jr.|last=Ferraris|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1418|pages=1–628|year=2007|format=PDF]

Distribution

The distribution of "Homodiaetus" is restricted you southeastern South America, from Urugay to Paraguay Rivers in the west to the coastal drainages of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. "H. anisitsi" originates from the Paraná-Paraguay River basin. "H. banguela" inhabits the São João River and "H. passarellii" is known from coastal basins in the State of Rio de Janeiro. "H. graciosa" is distributed in coastal basins of southeastern Brazil in states of Paraná and São Paulo.

Description

"Homodiaetus" is currently distinguished from other genera of Stegophilinae by the combination of the origin of the pelvic fin midlength between the tip of the snout and the caudal-fin origin, the opercle with three or more odontodes, and the gill membranes confluent with the isthmus. "Homodiaetus" species are small and grow up to 42 millimetres (1.7 in) SL. They are transparent with the except of the head and abdomen. "Homodiaetus" species have a thin body and depressed head that is almost as wide as the head is long. The dorsal and ventral profiles are straight except for a convex head. The mouth is inferior.

"H. anisitsi" has three dark bands on its caudal fin, while dark lines are irregular or absent in the other three species. Among the other three species, "H. graciosa" has 5–6 rows of teeth in the dentary (vs. 6–7 in the other two species). "H. graciosa" has 7–9 (usually 8) opercular odontodes, "H. passarellii" has 6–7, and "H. banguella" has 9.

Ecology

"Homodiaetus" species are found in lagoons and arenaceous rivers of little depth. These fish are known to be lepidophagous, meaning they feed upon scales.

References