The Rivulidae are a family of killifishes in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Cyprinodontiformes. They are commonly known as rivulids, South American killifish or New World killifish. The latter names are slightly misleading, however, as they are neither restricted to South America – though most are in fact found there –, nor are they the only killifishes from the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. Occasionally, they are still referred to as rivulines, a term dating back to when they were considered a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the Aplocheilidae. The subfamilial name "Rivulinae" was already established for noctuid moths by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1895. That name, though it is the senior homonym, may be suppressed because the name Rivulinae for the fish subfamily is widespread, whereas the moth taxon is little used. The use of Rivulidae as the name for this family may need to be ruled in by the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

. The alternative family-group name Cynolebiidae Hoedeman 1961 has been proposed as an alternative to Rivulidae. Costa unified the three families within the suborder Aplocheiloidei into a single family Aplocheilidae, with the subfamilies Aplocheilinae, Nothobranchiinae and the Cynolebiinae. However, the 5th edition of ''

Fishes of the World ''Fishes of the World'' by the American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson (1937–2011) is a standard reference for fish systematics. Now in its fifth edition (2016), the work is a comprehensive overview of the diversity and classification of the ...

'' retains the three families Aplocheilidae, Nothobranchiidae and Rivulidae.

Genera

The following genera are classified in the family Rivulidae: The taxonomy of this family is subject to some discussion among workers and some of the listed genera are considered to be

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, for example it has been posited that '' Leptolebias'' is paraphyletic if the species placed in '' Leptopanchax'' are retained within it, as per

Fishbase FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.

. * '' Anablepsoides'' Huber, 1992 * '' Aphyolebias'' Costa, 1998 * '' Atlantirivulus'' Costa, 2008 * '' Austrofundulus'' Myers, 1932 * '' Austrolebias'' Costa, 1998 * '' Campellolebias'' Vaz-Ferreira & Sierra de Soriano, 1974 * '' Cynodonichthys'' Meek, 1904 * '' Cynolebias''

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

, 1876 * ''

Cynopoecilus ''Cynopoecilus'' is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae. They are endemic to seasonal temporary pools in Southern Brazil and northeastern Uruguay. Most species are restricted to the region bordering the Patos– Mirim lagoons, but ...

'' Regan, 1912 * '' Gnatholebias'' Costa, 1998 * ''

Hypsolebias ''Hypsolebias'' is a genus of small fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae that are endemic the Caatinga, Cerrado and nearby regions in Brazil. The greatest species richness is in the São Francisco River basin, but there are also species ...

'' Costa, 2006 * ''

Kryptolebias ''Kryptolebias'' is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae mostly native to warm parts of South America but with one species (''K. marmoratus'') found north through the Caribbean region to the Gulf Coast states of the United States. Th ...

'' Costa, 2004 * '' Laimosemion'' Huber, 1999 * '' Leptolebias'' Myers, 1952 * '' Llanolebias'' Hrbek & Taphorn, 2008 * ''

Maratecoara ''Maratecoara'' is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the upper Araguaia–Tocantins and middle Xingu river basins in Brazil. Most are from savanna regions, ...

'' Costa, 1995 * '' Melanorivulus'' Costa, 2006 * ''

Micromoema ''Micromoema xiphophora'' is a species of killifish from the family Rivulidae endemic to the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela where it is found in small pools in the forest. This annual killifish grows to a total length of . This species is ...

'' Costa, 1998 * ''

Millerichthys The Mexican rivulus (''Millerichthys robustus'') is a species of killifish from the family Rivulidae which is endemic to Mexico where it is found in the Papaloapan and Coatzacoalcos River basins. This annual killifish grows to a total length o ...

'' Costa, 1995 * '' Moema'' Costa, 1989 * '' Mucurilebias'' Costa, 2014 * ''

Nematolebias ''Nematolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These threatened annual killifish are endemic temporary waters, like pools, in the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (the equally threatened killifish genera ''Leptolebias ...

'' Costa, 1998 * ''

Neofundulus ''Neofundulus'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to the Paraguay River, Paraguay, Guaporé River, Guaporé, Mamoré River, Mamoré and São Francisco River, São Francisc ...

'' Myers, 1924 * ''

Notholebias ''Notholebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These threatened annual killifish are endemic temporary waters, like ponds, in the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (the equally threatened killifish genera ''Leptolebias' ...

'' Costa, 2008 * ''

Ophthalmolebias ''Ophthalmolebias ilheusensis'' is a killifish from the family Rivulidae which is endemic to Brazil where it is only known from river floodplains near Ilhéus in Bahia. Fishbase has this as the only species in the genus ''Opthamolebias'' with ...

'' Costa, 2006 * ''

Papiliolebias ''Papiliolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to seasonal pools in the Paraguay River, Paraguay and upper Madeira River, Madeira river basins in northwestern Argentina ...

'' Costa, 1998 * ''

Pituna ''Pituna'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–Tocantins, Xingu, uppermost Paraná and Paranaíba river basins in Brazil. Most are from savanna ...

'' Costa, 1989 * ''

Plesiolebias ''Plesiolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal pools, swamps and lagoons in the Araguaia–Tocantins, Xingu, and uppermost Paraguay (Pantanal) river basins in Brazil. They are small ...

'' Costa, 1989 * ''

Prorivulus ''Prorivulus auriferus'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. It is only known from a small freshwater creek near the coast in the Valença, Bahia region in Brazil. This species is the only known member of its genus. This small killifish i ...

'' Costa, Lima & Suzart, 2004 * ''

Pterolebias ''Pterolebias'' is a genus of killifish from the Family (biology), family Rivulidae which are native to temporary swamps and ponds in South America. It includes two groups, which sometimes are regarded as separate genera: ''Pterolebias'' (''sensu ...

'' Garman, 1895 * ''

Rachovia ''Rachovia'' is a genus of killifish from the family Rivulidae the species of which are endemic to the Orinoco, Maracaibo and Magdalena basins in Colombia and Venezuela, where they live in small temporary waters like ponds. They are small annu ...

'' Myers, 1927 * '' Renova'' Thomerson & Taphorn, 1995 * '' Rivulus'' Poey, 1860 * '' Simpsonichthys'' Carvalho, 1959 * ''

Spectrolebias ''Spectrolebias'' is a genus of killifish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to seasonal waters (like pools) in the Paraguay River, Paraguay, Tocantins River, Tocantins–Araguaia River, Aragua ...

'' Costa & Nielsen, 1997 * ''

Stenolebias ''Stenolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These relatively rare annual killifish are endemic to seasonal waters in the Pantanal in Brazil. They are small fish, up to in total length. Species ''Stenolebias'' and the closely r ...

'' Costa, 1995 * ''

Terranatos The saberfin killie (''Terranatos dolichopterus'') is a species of killifish from the family Rivulidae endemic to the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela. This annual killifish grows to in total length. This species is the only known member of it ...

'' Taphorn & Thomerson, 1978 * ''

Trigonectes ''Trigonectes'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are Endemism, endemic to the Paraguay River, Paraguay, upper Madeira River, Madeira (Beni River, Beni, Guaporé River, Guaporé and Mamoré River ...

'' Myers, 1925 * ''

Xenurolebias ''Xenurolebias'' is a genus of fish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to temporary pools in the Atlantic forest near the coast in southeast Bahia and Espírito Santo, Brazil.Costa, W.J.E.M. & Amorim, P.F. (2014): Integra ...

'' Costa, 2006

References

* Ray-finned fish families Taxa named by George S. Myers {{Cyprinodontiformes-stub