Melanorivulus

Melanorivulus
Melanorivulus nigromarginatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Rivulidae
Genus: Melanorivulus
W. J. E. M. Costa, 2006
Type species
Rivulus punctatus
Boulenger, 1895[1]

Melanorivulus is a genus of South American freshwater fish in the family Rivulidae. Most species are endemic to the Río de la Plata, eastern Amazon (west to Tapajós basin), Tocantins–Araguaia and São Francisco basins in Brazil, but a few members of this genus range west into Bolivia, south into Paraguay and Argentina, and east to Parnaíba and Sergipe in northeastern Brazil. Only M. schuncki occurs north of the Amazon River.[2][3][4][5] They inhabit shallow waters, generally 5–30 cm (2–12 in) deep, at the margins of streams in open or fairly open habitats like the Cerrado or Cerrado–Amazon transition.[5] Many have tiny ranges and are seriously threatened.[6]

Similar to closely related genera such as Anablepsoides, Atlantirivulus, Cynodonichthys and Laimosemion, Melanorivulus are jumpers and non-annual killifish.[7][8][9]

Melanorivulus are small fish, with the largest species up 5 cm (2.0 in) in total length and the smallest less than 2 cm (0.8 in).[3][10] They are often quite colorful and some are kept in aquariums.[3][5]

  1. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Melanorivulus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  2. ^ van der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. p. 356. ISBN 978-0691170749.
  3. ^ a b c Costa, W.J.E.M., Bragança, P.H.N. & Ottoni, F.P. (2015): A new miniature killifish of the genus Melanorivulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) from the coastal plains of north-eastern Brazil. Vertebrate Zoology, 65 (1): 31–35.
  4. ^ Bragança, P.H.N.; P.F. Amorim; W.J.E.M. Costa (2012). "Geographic distribution, habitat, colour pattern variability and synonymy of the amazon killifish Melanorivulus schuncki (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 23 (1): 51–55.
  5. ^ a b c Costa, W.J.E.M.; P.F. Amorim; R.C. Rizzieri (2016). "Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the South American savanna killifish genus Melanorivulus (Teleostei: Aplocheilidae)". Vertebrate Zoology. 66: 267–273. doi:10.3897/vz.66.e31565. S2CID 257198386.
  6. ^ Costa, W.J.E.M. (2012): Two new species of Melanorivulus from the Caiapós hill, upper Araguaia river basin, Brazil (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 23 (3): 211-218.
  7. ^ Costa, W.J.E.M. (2011). "Phylogenetic position and taxonomic status of Anablepsoides, Atlantirivulus, Cynodonichthys, Laimosemion and Melanorivulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 22 (3): 233–249.
  8. ^ Huber, J.H. (2012). "Reappraisal of the Phylogeny of Rivulus and its Allied focused on External Characters". Killi-Data Series. 2012: 9–25.
  9. ^ Berois, N.; G. García; R.O. de Sá, eds. (2015). Annual Fishes: Life History Strategy, Diversity, and Evolution. CRC Press. pp. 16–19. ISBN 9781482299717.
  10. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Melanorivulus". FishBase. November 2018 version.