''Propimelodus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of South American

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Pimelodidae The Pimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, are a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes). Taxonomy The family Pimelodidae has undergone much revision. Currently, it contains about 30 genera and about 90 recognized and know ...

Taxonomy

The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

of this genus, ''P. eigenmanni'', was first described in 1946 under the genus ''

Pimelodus ''Pimelodus'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Pimelodidae native to Central America, Central and South America. Species There are currently 34 recognized species in this genus: * ''Pimelodus absconditus'' María de las Mercede ...

''. In 2002, the genus ''Propimelodus'' was described for this species. Shortly after, in 2006, the species ''P. caesius'' was described to this genus and in 2007 another new species, ''P. araguayae'' was described. Other species will be described in the future. ''Propimelodus'' is classified under the "'' Calophysus-Pimelodus'' clade". Within this clade, it is considered a part of the "Pimelodus-group" of Pimelodids, which also includes ''Pimelodus'', '' Exallodontus'', '' Duopalatinus'', ''

Cheirocerus ''Cheirocerus'' is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Species There are currently three recognized species in this genus: * ''Cheirocerus abuelo'' (Leonard Peter Schultz, Schultz, 1944) * ''Cheirocerus eques'' Carl H. E ...

'', '' Iheringichthys'', '' Bergiaria'', '' Bagropsis'', ''

Parapimelodus ''Parapimelodus'' is a small genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Parapimelodus nigribarbis'' ( Boulenger, 1889) * '' Parapimelodus valenciennis'' ( Lü ...

'', '' Platysilurus'', and ''

Platystomatichthys ''Platystomatichthys sturio'' is the only species in the genus ''Platystomatichthys'' of the catfish (order Siluriformes) family Pimelodidae. It is sometimes called the sturgeon catfish. This species occurs in the Amazon Basin and reaches a lengt ...

''.

Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus: * '' Propimelodus araguayae''

Rocha Rocha may refer to: * Rocha (surname), a Portuguese surname * Rocha, Moca, Puerto Rico, a barrio in the municipality of Moca, Puerto Rico * Rocha, Rio de Janeiro, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Rocha, Uruguay, capital city of the R ...

, de Oliveira & Rapp Py-Daniel, 2007 * '' Propimelodus caesius'' Parisi, Lundberg & DoNascimiento, 2006 * '' Propimelodus eigenmanni'' ( van der Stigchel, 1946)

Distribution

''P. eigenmanni'' originate from the lower Amazon River as well as large tributaries such as the Xingu,

Trombetas The Trombetas is a large river on the northern side of the Amazon River. Course The Trombetas is long, and is navigable by 500 ton vessels for a stretch of . The Trombetas river gives birth to very many rivers, including the Anamu river. It is ...

Jari River The Jari River, or Jary River (), is a northern tributary of the Amazon River on the border between the states of Pará and Amapá in northeastern Brazil. It is in the most downstream regions of the Amazon Basin and borders the Guiana Highlands ...

, and lower

Madeira River The Madeira River ( ) is a major waterway in South America. It is estimated to be in length, while the Madeira-Mamoré is estimated near or in length depending on the measuring party and their methods. The Madeira is the biggest tributary of ...

in Brazil, and the rivers

Kourou Kourou (; ) is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...

and

Oyapock The Oyapock or Oiapoque ( ; ; ) is a long river in South America that forms most of the border between the French overseas department of French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá. Course The Oyapock runs through the Guianan moist for ...

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

. ''P. caesius'' has the largest range of the genus. ''P. caesius'' is also found in many of these regions, with tributary range including

Tocantins Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

, Jari, Xingu, Trombetas, Madeira,

Negro In the English language, the term ''negro'' (or sometimes ''negress'' for a female) is a term historically used to refer to people of Black people, Black African heritage. The term ''negro'' means the color black in Spanish and Portuguese (from ...

, Purús,

Japurá Japurá is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality located in the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. Its population was 2,251 (2020) and its area is 55,791 km² (21541 Mi2). It forms the Japurá Micror ...

, Juruá, and

Içá river The Putumayo River or Içá River (, ) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River. Course The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well as most of the border with Per ...

s. ''P. araguayae'' is only known from the middle

Araguaia River The Araguaia River ( , Karajá language, Karajá: ♂ ''Berohokỹ'' eɾohoˈkə̃ ♀ ''Bèrakuhukỹ'' ɛɾakuhuˈkə̃ is one of the major rivers of Brazil, and a tributary of the Tocantins River. Geography The Araguaia River comes from ...

Appearance and anatomy

These fish have three pairs of

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whisker like sensory organ near the mouth (sometimes called whiskers or tendrils). Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the z ...

. As in other pimelodids, these whiskers are extremely long; the maxillary barbels extend past the base of the

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

. ''Propimelodus'' species have a rather long

adipose fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only b ...

. Unlike its congeners, ''P. araguayae'' has a black spot on its dorsal fin. ''P. eigenmanni'' grows not much longer than 20 centimetres (8 in). ''P. eigenmanni'' is a pale blue-gray to tan. ''P. caesius'' also has an attractive blue coloration.

Ecology

''Propimelodus'' lives in swiftly flowing waters of open channels of the Amazon River and many of its large tributaries; ''P. caesius'' is one of the most common fish in these habitats. ''P. eigenmanni'' associate with mud or detritus substrates. ''P. caesius'' is found in turbid, blackwater habitats over sand, clay, and detritus substrates. ''P. eigenmanni'' is nocturnal, found in tidally influenced

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

habitats on mud substrate and near dense vegetation. ''P. araguayae'' has been found near the edge of rivers among macrophytes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7250323 Pimelodidae Fish of South America Fish of the Amazon basin Catfish genera Freshwater fish genera