''Propimelodus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of South American

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 kno ...

Taxonomy

The

type species In 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 species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

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

Pimelodus ''Pimelodus'' is a genus of fish in the family Pimelodidae native to Central and South America. Species There are currently 33 recognized species in this genus: * ''Pimelodus absconditus'' Azpelicueta, 1995 * ''Pimelodus albicans'' (Valencienne ...

''. 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 ''Duopalatinus'' is a small genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * ''Duopalatinus emarginatus'' ( Valenciennes, 1840) * ''Duopalatinus peruanus'' Eigenma ...

'', ''

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 ''Iheringichthys'' is a small genus of long-whiskered catfish native to South America. Species There are currently three recognized species in this genus:Azpelicueta, M.d.l.M. & Britski, H.A. (2012)Iheringichthys syi ''(Siluriformes: Pimelodidae ...

'', ''

Bergiaria ''Bergiaria'' is a small genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Bergiaria platana'' (Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 1 ...

'', '' 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 ''Platysilurus'' is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Taxonomy ''Platysilurus'' is classified under the "'' Calophysus- Pimelodus'' clade". Within this clade, it is considered a part of the "Pimelodus-group" of Pimel ...

'', 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 Rocha ...

, de Oliveira & Rapp Py-Daniel, 2007 * '' Propimelodus caesius''

Parisi Parisi may refer to: *Johnny Swinger (born 1975), professional wrestler who performed under the name "Johnny Parisi" *Parisi (surname), an Italian surname * Parisi, São Paulo, a Brazilian municipality *Parisi (Yorkshire), an ancient tribe *Parisi ...

Lundberg Lundberg is a surname of Swedish origin. Lundberg means "wooded hill" or "mountain grove". Notable people with the surname include: A * Agneta Lundberg (born 1947), Swedish Social Democratic politician *Alfred Lundberg (1852–1935), Swedish silen ...

& 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 ( pt, Rio Jari), 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 Guian ...

, and lower

Madeira River The Madeira River ( pt, Rio Madeira, link=no ) 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 ...

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 ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

. ''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 2 ...

Pará Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana a ...

, Jari, Xingu, Trombetas, Madeira,

Negro In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

, Purús,

Japurá Japurá is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Its population was 2,251 (2020) and its area is 55,791 km² (21541 Mi2). It forms the Japurá microregion together with the municipality Maraã (to the east of the Japur� ...

, Juruá, and

Içá river The Putumayo River or Içá River ( es, Río Putumayo, pt, Rio Içá) 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 ...

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

Araguaia River The Araguaia River ( pt, Rio Araguaia , Karajá: ♂ ''Berohokỹ'' eɾohoˈkə̃ ♀ ''Bèrakuhukỹ'' ɛɾakuhuˈkə̃ is one of the major rivers of Brazil though it is almost equal in volume at its confluence with the Tocantins. It has a tota ...

Appearance and anatomy

These fish have three pairs of

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and s ...

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

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as s ...

. ''Propimelodus'' species have a rather long

adipose fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as s ...

. 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. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does in ...

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