Amaralia

Taxobox
name = "Amaralia"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Aspredinidae
subfamilia = Bunocephalinae
genus = "Amaralia"
genus_authority = Fowler, 1954
type_species = "Bunocephalus hypsiurus"
type_species_authority = Kner, 1855
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision =
"Amaralia hypsiura"
(Kner, 1855)
"Amaralia 'oviraptor"'
Friel, 1992

"Amaralia" is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Aspredinidae. It includes one described species, "A. hypsiura", as well as an undescribed species.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] "A. hypsiura" is found throughout the Amazon River basin. An undescribed species is known from the Paraguay-Paraná River system.

The genus includes medium-sized aspredinids (not exceeding 133 millimetres or 5.2 in SL). These fish have a deep, laterally compressed caudal peduncle, a reduced dorsal fin with only 2–3 rays, and well-developed head ornamentation.

"Amaralia" species appear to be specialized to feed on the eggs of other catfishes; eggs found in "Amaralia" stomachs are thought to be those of loricariids.cite paper|url=http://www.cumv.cornell.edu/pdf/Friel_Ph.D._Thesis_1994.pdf|title=A Phylogenetic Study of the Neotropical Banjo Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Aspredinidae)|author=Friel, John Patrick|publisher=Duke University, Durham, NC|date=1994-12-13|accessdate=2007-08-07|format=PDF]

External links

*cite web|url=http://tolweb.org/Amaralia/15258|last=Friel|first=John P|title=Amaralia Fowler 1954|date=2000-04-14|publisher=Tree of Life Web Project|publisher=2007-08-07
*FishBase species|genus=Amaralia|species=hypsiura|year=2007|month=Aug

References