Hydrolycus armatus

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Hydrolycus armatus
Adult in Berlin Aquarium, Germany
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Cynodontidae
Genus: Hydrolycus
Species:
H. armatus
Binomial name
Hydrolycus armatus
(Jardine, 1841)

Hydrolycus armatus is a

dogtooth characin found in freshwater of tropical South America.[1] It is sometimes known as the payara,[2][3][4] a name it shares with the related H. scomberoides
.

This predatory fish occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, but it requires a very large tank.

gamefish.[4][5]

Distribution and habitat

This species of fish is found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo basins in tropical South America.[1][6] They are found in several different freshwater habitats, but often in fast-flowing water.[4][7] They are typically found in deeper waters during the day.[7] The species is locally common; in a major study of a Venezuelan floodplain river, 1⁄3 of the collected fish were H. armatus, and the species was particularly common in creeks and lagoons.[8] At least some populations are migratory.[7]

Description

Hydrolycus armatus are overall silvery. In adults the base of the tail and

anal fin is pale yellowish, and the distal part is blackish, contrasting with a narrow white edge at the very tip (unique among Hydrolycus species).[2][6][9]

A typically reported maximum

canine teeth. In H. armatus these can surpass 5 cm (2 in) in length in large individuals.[3] These are used for spearing their prey, usually other fish.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2017). "Hydrolycus armatus" in FishBase. January 2017 version.
  2. ^ a b c d SeriouslyFish: Hydrolycus armatus. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c OPEFE: Payara Venezuela. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Payara—Hydrolycus armatus". Acute Angling. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  5. ^ a b Scott, B.M. (March 2007). "Taming the Untamable—Giant Payara!". TFH Magazine. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Toledo-Piza, M.; N.A. Menezes; G.M. Santos (1999). "Revision of the Neotropical fish genus Hydrolycus (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Cynodontidae) with the description of two new species". Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 10 (3): 255–280.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0691170749
    .
  8. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252005000100007
    .
  9. ^ a b "Subfamily Cynodontinae". OPEFE. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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