American pike tetra

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American pike tetra
Ctenolucius hujeta

Ctenolucius hujeta

Systematics
Overcohort : Clupeocephala
Cohort : Otomorpha
Sub-cohort : Ostariophysi
Otophysa
Order : Tetras (Characiformes)
Family : American pike tetra
Scientific name
Ctenoluciidae
Schultz , 1944

American pike tetra (Ctenoluciidae) are predatory fish from the order of the tetra (Characiformes).

distribution

They live in northern South America and southern Central America. The five species of the genus Boulengerella live in the Amazon , in the Orinoco , in the Rio Tocantins , in the rivers of the three Guyanas and in eastern and central Panama to the province of Veraguas . The two Ctenolucius species occur in the rivers of Panama that flow into the Pacific , in the rivers of western and northern Colombia such as the Río Magdalena , and in freshwater lagoons on Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela .

features

American pike tetra have an elongated, cylindrical body. The scales are small. They are gray in color, with brown streaks or spots, or silvery. They become 22 to about 68 centimeters long. The dorsal and anal fin are, typical for shock predators, far back. The pelvic fins have eight fin rays . The fish have an adipose fin . Its mouth is elongated and has numerous teeth pointing backwards.

Way of life

American pike tetra live gregariously as young fish, solitary as old animals. They prefer to stay on the surface of the water and feed on insect larvae, crustaceans and smaller fish as shock predators.

Systematics

Spotted pike tetra ( Boulengerella maculata )

literature

Web links

Commons : Ctenoluciidae  - collection of images, videos and audio files