Lithogenes is a genus of South American catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is the only genus within the subfamily Lithogeneinae.
| Lithogenes | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Subfamily: | Lithogeneinae |
| Genus: | Lithogenes Eigenmann, 1909 |
Taxonomy
editLithogenes is the only genus within the subfamily Lithogeneinae. This genus and subfamily, the most basal group in Loricariidae, is the sister group to the rest of the family.[1] Relative to an undescribed species of Lithogeneinae, L. valencia has sister group relationship to L. villosus.[2]
Species
editThe three recognized species in this genus are:[3]
- Lithogenes valencia Provenzano, Schaefer, Baskin & Royero-Leon, 2003
- Lithogenes villosus Eigenmann, 1909
- Lithogenes wahari Schaefer & Provenzano, 2008
Appearance and anatomy
editAs members of the family Loricariidae, all Lithogenes species have a suckermouth. However, unlike most loricariids, species of the genus Lithogenes possess armor plating only on the latter half of the body. Their eyes are small and their bodies flattened.[2][1]
Distribution and habitat
editL. villosus originates from the Essequibo River drainage of the Guiana Shield.[4] An undescribed species of Lithogenes is known from the Orinoco basin of the Guiana Shield.[2] L. valencia has only been known from six specimens collected in the 1970s from tributaries of the Lake Valencia in northern Venezuela; however, this area has since been polluted and this species possibly is now extinct.[2]
L. villosus lives in habitats dominated by rapids over bedrock, and L. valencia likely does, as well.[2][1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Schaefer, Scott A. (2003). "Relationships of Lithogenes villosus Eigenmann, 1909 (Siluriformes, Loricariidae): Evidence from High-Resolution Computed Microtomography" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3401). American Museum of Natural History: 1–55. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2003)401<0001:ROLVES>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0003-0082. S2CID 36180254.
- ^ a b c d e Provenzano R., Francisco; Schaefer, Scott A.; Baskin, Jonathan N.; Royero-Leon, Ramiro (2003). Buth, D. G. (ed.). "New, Possibly Extinct Lithogenine Loricariid (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from Northern Venezuela" (PDF). Copeia. 2003 (3). American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists: 562–575. doi:10.1643/CI-02-160R1. S2CID 9191738.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Lithogenes". FishBase. December 2011 version.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lithogenes villosus". FishBase. May 2007 version.