Helogenes

Helogenes
Helogenes marmoratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Cetopsidae
Subfamily: Helogeneinae
Regan, 1911
Genus: Helogenes
Günther, 1863
Type species
Helogenes marmoratus
Günther, 1863
Synonyms

Leyvaichthys Dahl, 1960

Helogenes is a genus of whale catfish found in tropical South America.

Helogeneinae is the sister taxon of Cetopsinae, the other subfamily in the family Cetopsidae.[1]

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[2]

Distribution

Helogenes species occur through much of the Amazon River basin, the southern portions of the Orinoco River basin, the coastal rivers of the Guianas, and at least the lower portions of the Tocantins River.[3]

Description

In Helogenes, the dorsal fin base is short, the anal fin base is elongate, the dorsal and pectoral fins lack spines, the adipose fin is usually present, but is reduced or absent in one population of one species.[4][3] Helogenes species grow to about 4.3–7.3 centimetres (1.7–2.9 in) SL.[2]

Ecology

Helogenes species feed on allochthonous insects.[1] The only species for which details of the ecology are known is H. marmoratus (refer to article for that species).

References

  1. 1 2 Vari, Richard P.; Ferraris, Carl J.; de Pinna, Mário C. C. (2005). "The Neotropical whale catfishes (Siluriformes: Cetopsidae: Cetopsinae), a revisionary study" (PDF). Neotropical Ichthyology. 3 (2): 127–238. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000200001.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). Species of Helogenes in FishBase. December 2011 version.
  3. 1 2 Ferraris, Jr., Carl J.; Vari, Richard P. (2007-06-07). "Whale Catfishes Cetopsidae". Retrieved 2007-08-04.
  4. ↑ Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25031-7.
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