- Mimagoniates
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Mimagoniates Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Superclass: Osteichthyes Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei Superorder: Ostariophysi Order: Characiformes Family: Characidae Subfamily: Glandulocaudinae Tribe: Glandulocaudini Genus: Mimagoniates
Regan, 1907Type species Mimagoniates barberi
Regan 1907Species 6, see text
Synonyms Coelurichthys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1908
Mimagoniates is a genus of Glandulocaudinae, a subfamily of tropical characid fish from Central and South America. Commonly known as croaking tetras or chirping tetras because they can produce sounds, some of these fish were formerly included in Glandulocauda.
They have a supplementary breathing organ located above the gills which makes a faint chirping sound when these fish come to the surface to gulp air. It also plays a role in courtship as the male chases and hovers near the female while taking gulps of air and expelling it to make a rhythmic noise. [1]
Croaking behavior may have evolved from a behavior called "surface nipping", behavior that occurs when the fish is searching for food. This gulping of air has no useful respiratory function.[2]
Species
The following species are accepted as valid today:[3]
- Mimagoniates barberi Regan, 1907
- Mimagoniates inequalis (Eigenmann, 1911)
- Mimagoniates lateralis (Nichols, 1913)
- Mimagoniates microlepis (Steindachner, 1876) – "blue tetra"
- Mimagoniates rheocharis Menezes & Weitzman, 1990
- Mimagoniates sylvicola Menezes & Weitzman, 1990
Footnotes
References
- Axelrod, Herbert Richard (1996): Exotic Tropical Fishes. T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-543-1
- FishBase (2008): Mimagoniates species. Version of 2008-MAR-06. Retrieved 2008-NOV-10.
- Microsoft Encarta (ME) [2008]: Tetra (Archived 2009-11-01). Retrieved 2008-NOV-10.
- Nelson, Keith (1964): The Evolution of a Pattern of Sound Production Associated with Courtship in the Characid Fish, Glandulocauda inequalis. Evolution 18(4): 526–540. doi:10.2307/2406207 (HTML abstract and first page image)
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