Paramphilius

Taxobox
name = "Paramphilius"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Amphiliidae
subfamilia = Amphiliinae
genus = "Paramphilius"
genus_authority = Pellegrin, 1907
type_species = "Paramphilius trichomycteroides"
type_species_authority = Pellegrin, 1907
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision =
"Paramphilius firestonei"
Schultz, 1942
"Paramphilius goodi"
Harry, 1953
"Paramphilius teugelsi"
Skelton, 1989
"Paramphilius trichomycteroides"
Pellegrin, 1907

"Paramphilius" is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Amphiliidae. It includes four species, "P. firestonei", "P. goodi", "P. teugelsi", and "P. trichomycteroides".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

"Paramphilius" species are distributed in Africa. "P. firestonei" occurs in the St. Paul, Du, and Borlor Rivers in Liberia. "P. goodi" is known only from the type locality of the Lokunje River basin in Cameroon. "P. teugelsi" inhabits the Little Scarcies River basin in Guinea. "P. trichomycteroides" originates from the Senegal River headwaters, near Ditinn and Mamou, Guinea.

Description

"Paramphilius" have a lengthened and cylindrical body with a short and high head and short and round fins. The small eyes are located far forward. The barbels are long. The caudal fin is truncated or round. All of the West African species are uniformly brown with a paler underside; "P. firestonei" also has irregularly distributed brown spots as well as a dark spot at the base of the caudal fin. "Paramphilius" species exhibit a peculiar form of sexual dimorphism in that the males mature have a more inflated head.cite encyclopedia|url=http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_6/Fau_trop/36567.pdf|title=Amphiliidae (French)|first=Paul H.|last=Skelton|encyclopedia=Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres d'Afrique de l'Ouest|volume=Tome 2|pages=450-467|date=1992|publisher=Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique and O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris, France, 902|format=PDF] Unlike species of "Amphilius", the length of the snout is less than half of the length of the head, the adipose fin is confluent with the caudal fin, and the anal fin has seven or more branched rays. "Paramphilius" species grow to about 5.1–7.5 centimetres (2.0–3.0 in) SL.FishBase species|genus=Paramphilius|species=firestonei|year=2007|month=Aug] FishBase species|genus=Paramphilius|species=goodi|year=2007|month=Aug] FishBase species|genus=Paramphilius|species=teugelsi|year=2007|month=Aug] FishBase species|genus=Paramphilius|species=trichomycteroides|year=2007|month=Aug]

References