South American multi-spined
| South American multi-spined | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polycentrus schomburgkii |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Polycentrus schomburgkii | ||||||||||||
| Müller & Troschel , 1849 | ||||||||||||
The South American polycentrus ( Polycentrus schomburgkii ) is a small predatory fish from northern South America and one of two species in the genus Polycentrus .
description
Males reach a length of 6 cm, the females are a bit smaller and lighter. This twilight-active fish is adapted to dead leaves due to its brown color, to which it adapts even better through a certain color change. This mimicry is also used to acquire food (shock robbers; suckers).
The strongly optical orientation agrees that Polycentrus has no lateral line organ - but the neuromasts of this sense organ are arranged as pit lines at the edge of each scale.
The fins formula is: Dorsal : XVI – XVIII / 8–9, Anale XII / 6–8, Ventral I / 5
Distribution & habitat
The distribution area of the South American polyhedra stretches from Venezuela via Guayana to the Brazilian state of Amapá . This species is also common on the Caribbean island of Trinidad . The habitat consists of small, partly brackish, vegetation-rich waters.
Way of life
Its diet consists of smaller fish, insects and worms. Its visual orientation towards moving things makes feeding in the aquarium difficult.
Except during the spawning season, the fish are intolerant. During this time, however, the male guards the clutch (s) that are located on the underside of floating plants; some of the clutches are foam nests .
Systematics
The species epithet schomburgkii is defined as a nomen conservandum , although Carl von Linné probably mentioned this species as early as 1768 under the name punctatus .
The delimitation of the Polycentridae from the South Asian Nandidae is unclear - the similarities could be based on mere convergence . In particular, the position of Afronandus sheljuzhkoi is uncertain.
literature
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
