''Valencia'' is the only genus in the family Valenciidae. ''Valencia'' is a genus of ray-finned fishes. It was formerly grouped into the family Cyprinodontidae, but more recent studies support it being its own family most closely related to the Aphaniidae. Members of this genus are restricted to southern Europe.

Taxonomy

There are currently three recognized species in ''Valencia'': * '' Valencia hispanica'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1846) (Valencia toothcarp) * '' Valencia letourneuxi'' ( Sauvage, 1880) (Corfu toothcarp) * '' Valencia robertae'' Freyhof, Kärst & Geiger, 2014Freyhof, J., Kärst, H. & Geiger, M. (2014)
''Valencia robertae'', a new killifish from southern Greece (Cyprinodontiformes: Valenciidae).
''Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 24 (4) 013 289-298.'' Umbra perpusilla 564

The Valenciidae were formerly a much more diverse lineage in prehistoric times (

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

to mid-

Neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...

). The following fossil genera are also known: * †'' Aphanolebias'' Reichenbacher & Gaudant, 2003 * †'' Francolebias'' Costa, 2012 * †'' Miovalencia'' Mainero, Vasilyan & Reichenbacher, 2024 * †'' Prolebias'' Sauvage, 1874 * †'' Wilsonilebias'' Mainero, Vasilyan & Reichenbacher, 2024 This group has a rich fossil record dating to the

Early Oligocene The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two age (geology), ages or the lower of two stage (stratigraphy), stages of the Oligocene epoch (geology), Epoch/series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded b ...

. Their evolution was driven by shifts in the Mediterranean and the Paratethys Seas.

References

External links

* Freshwater fish genera Taxa named by George S. Myers {{Cyprinodontiformes-stub