Sternarchogiton
Encyclopedia
Sternarchogiton is a genus
of weakly electric knifefish
in the family Apteronotidae, with four known species
. They are distinguished from other apteronotid genera by details of the skull
and the broad descending blades of the pterygiophores in the anal fin. They are related to the genera Adontosternarchus and Porotergus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of weakly electric knifefish
Knifefish
Knifefish may refer to several knife-shaped fishes:* The Neotropical or weakly electric knifefishes, order Gymnotiformes, containing five families:** Family Gymnotidae ** Family Rhamphichthyidae...
in the family Apteronotidae, with four known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. They are distinguished from other apteronotid genera by details of the skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
and the broad descending blades of the pterygiophores in the anal fin. They are related to the genera Adontosternarchus and Porotergus
Species
- Sternarchogiton labiatusSternarchogiton labiatusSternarchogiton labiatus is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. Its species name labiatus comes from the Latin labium, meaning "lip", referring to a distinctive three-lobed structure on its lower lips. S. labiatus is only known from the Rio Tefé, at a depth of 6–14...
de Santana & Crampton, 2007 - Sternarchogiton nattereriSternarchogiton nattereriSternarchogiton nattereri is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. It is native to the Amazon River system and feeds on sponges. Unlike other members of the genus Sternarchogiton, there is pronounced sexual dimorphism in S. nattereri, with reproductively mature males...
(Steindachner, 1868) - Sternarchogiton porcinumSternarchogiton porcinumSternarchogiton porcinum is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. It is native to deep river channels in the Río Huallaga, Río Napo, and Río Amazonas in Peru, and in the Río Orinoco in Venezuela. Many specimens once identified as S. porcinum from the Brazilian Amazon...
Eigenmann & Allen, 1942 - Sternarchogiton pretoSternarchogiton pretoSternarchogiton preto is a species of weakly electric knifefish in the family Apteronotidae. It is native to large river channels and major side branches in the Amazon Basin, and is common in the Rio Tefé and the Rio Solimões to a depth of 14 m. It is found in both whitewater and blackwater habitats...
de Santana & Crampton, 2007