Goiter tetra
| Goiter tetra | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Triportheus cf. angulatus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the subfamily | ||||||||||||
| Triportheinae | ||||||||||||
| Fowler , 1940 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Triportheus | ||||||||||||
| Cope , 1872 |
The goiter tetra ( Triportheus ) are a genus of medium-sized tetra that is widespread in northern, tropical South America.
features
Goiter tetra are 11 to 24.5 centimeters long. Its body is elongated, strongly flattened on the sides and covered by large, silvery, shiny scales. The chest profile is arched, the chest and stomach are keeled. The pectoral fins are elongated and strongly developed. This makes the goiter tetra somewhat similar to the hatchet tetra (Gasteropelecidae), with which they are not closely related. The eyes are large, the mouth is medium-sized and each has two rows of teeth. The fish have spreadable skin flaps on their lower jaws that are reminiscent of barbels . They are used to breathe atmospheric air. The dorsal fin sits relatively far back. A short adipose fin is present. The middle rays of the forked caudal fin are elongated and contrasted in color. The sideline is complete.
Way of life
Goiter tetra live in the upper and middle water layers and are quite common. Similar to the hatchet-bellied tetra, they are good jumpers and support the jump by the "buzzing" of the pectoral fins, but they neither reach the height of the hatchet-bellied tetra nor their width. Goiter tetra feed mainly on approach food ( insects , spiders and other small animals that fall on the surface of the water).
species
- Yellowfin goiter ( Triportheus albus ) Cope, 1872
- Spotted goiter tetra or crossbow tetra ( Triportheus angulatus ) (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
- Triportheus auritus (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Triportheus brachipomus (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Triportheus culter (Cope, 1872)
- Triportheus curtus (Garman, 1890)
- Stretched goiter tetra ( Triportheus elongatus ) (Günther, 1864)
- Triportheus guentheri (Garman, 1890)
- Triportheus magdalenae (Steindachner, 1878)
- Triportheus nematurus (Kner, 1858)
- Triportheus orinocensis Malabarba, 2004
- Triportheus pantanensis Malabarba, 2004
- Silver goiter tetra ( Triportheus pictus ) (Garman, 1890)
- Rounded goiter tetra ( Triportheus rotundatus ) (Jardine, 1841)
- Triportheus signatus (Garman, 1890)
- Triportheus trifurcatus (Castelnau, 1855)
- Triportheus venezuelensis Malabarba, 2004
literature
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
- Axel Zarske: Triportheus. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , pp. 952 f.
Web links
- Triportheus on Fishbase.org (English)