Threadfin acara
| Threadfin acara | |
|---|---|
| |
| adult | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Tribe: | Geophagini |
| Subtribe: | Acarichthyina |
| Genus: | Acarichthys C. H. Eigenmann,1912 |
| Species: | A. heckelii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acarichthys heckelii (J. P. Müller&Troschel,1849)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Thethreadfin acara(Acarichthys heckelii), also known asHeckel's thread-finned acara,is aSouth Americanspecies ofcichlidfish. It is theonly memberof the genusAcarichthysand is native to rivers in theAmazonandEssequibobasins in tropical South America, and has become established in southeastern Asia. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.
Taxonomy and etymology
[edit]The threadfin acara was first described in 1848 by the German zoologistsJ. P. MüllerandTroschelasAcara heckelii,and in 1912 was placed byEigenmannin the monotypic genusAcarichthys.[2]The specific name honours the ichthyologistJohann Jakob Heckel,director of theVienna Museum of Natural History,who studied and catalogued fish sent to him by collectors.[3]Its common name is the "threadfin acara", referring to the elongated, free rays at the posterior end of the dorsal fin.[4]Thespecific namehonours theAustrianichthyologistJohann Jakob Heckel(1790-1857), one of the pioneers in the study of cichlids.[5]
Description
[edit]
This is a laterally-compressed, deep-bodied fish with a brownish-silver upper body, silvery flanks and a pale belly. There is a vertical black streak below the eye, a black blotch on the front few rays of the dorsal fin and a small black spot on the flanks below the centre of the dorsal fin.[4]
Distribution
[edit]The species is native to the Amazon and Essequibo basins in tropical South America. It has been introduced to Singapore and other parts of southeast Asia, perhaps having originated from aquaculture or aquaria. It is one of about ten species of South American cichlid to have become established in this part of Asia.[6]
Ecology
[edit]A. heckeliiis a benthic feeder, sifting through sand or mud on the river bed and feeding on the invertebrates present. The male fish has a harem of female fish.[4]The eggs are laid in a breeding chamber that has been dug in the bottom by the female and a chamber has one or several long entrance tunnels. The eggs are cared for by the female, and the male stays outside and defends the entrances.[7]After hatching, both parents care for the young and defend them, and the juveniles remain gregarious when independent of their parents.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Froese, Rainer;Pauly, Daniel (eds.)."Acarichthys heckelii".FishBase.June 2018 version.
- ^Leibel, Wayne (15 August 1997)."Heckel's Thread-Finned AcaraAcarichthys heckelii(Mueller and Troschel 1848) ".The Cichlid Room Companion.Retrieved27 July2016.
- ^Naturhistorisches Museum WienHistory of the Fish Collection
- ^abcdTan, H.H.; Lim, K.K.P. (2008)."Acarichthys heckelii(Müller & Troschel), an introduced cichlid fish in Singapore ".Nature in Singapore.2008(1): 129–133.
- ^Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018)."Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily CICHLINAE (d-w)".The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database.Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara.Retrieved17 November2018.
- ^Ng, Peter K.L.; Corlett, Richard; Tan, Hugh T.W. (2011).Singapore Biodiversity: An Encyclopedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development.Editions Didier Millet. p. 264.ISBN978-981-4260-08-4.
- ^van der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017).Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas.Princeton University Press. p. 365.ISBN978-0691170749.