Scolichthys greenwayi
| Scolichthys greenwayi | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Poeciliidae |
| Genus: | Scolichthys |
| Species: | S. greenwayi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scolichthys greenwayi Rosen, 1967
| |
Scolichthys greenwayi, Greenway's toothcarp or chamá, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Poeciliidae, which includes the livebearers. This species is endemic to Guatemala.
Taxonomy
Scolichthys greenwayi was first formally described in 1967 by the American ichthyologist Donn Eric Rosen with its type locality given as a headwater stream of the Río Salbá in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.[2] The genus Scolichthys was proposed by Rosen in 1967 and he designated this species as its type species,[3] he also described the only other species in the genus, S. iota, in 1967.[2] The genus Scolichthys belongs to the subfamily Poeciliinae, the livebearers, in the family Poeciliidae,[3] which is classified within the suborder Cyprinodontoidei of the order Cyprodontiformes.[4]
Etymology
Scolichthys greenwayi is the type species of the genus Scolichthys, a name which siffixes -ichthys, meaning "fish", onto scolos, which means "thorn" or "prickle". This is an allusion to the small and slender bony appandage at the tip of the third ray of the gonopodium, which resembles a thorn. The specific name honors the ornithologist James Greenway, who supported Rosen's fieldwork in Guatemala.[5]
Description
Scolichthys greenwayi has an indistinct horizontal band along the middle of the flank and a large dark spot in to the front of the origin of the dorsal fin. The upper body has a reticulated pattern while the body below the black band has a bright blue sides with a greyish-white ventral surface. The dorsal and caudal fins are a vivid orange-yellow.[6] This species has a maximum total length of 3.5 cm (1.4 in).[7]
Distribution and habitat
Scolichthys greenwayi is endemic to Guatemala where it is found in the drainage systems of the Chixoy and Salinas rivers, these are found in the upper drainage system of the Usumacinta River. This species occurs in small, shallow headwater streams with a muddy substrate.[1]
References
- ^ a b Lyons, T.J. & Quintana, Y (2020). "Scolichthys greenwayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T164692219A164692496. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T164692219A164692496.en. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Scolichthys". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Poeciliinae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer; Ronald Fricke. "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf (2 June 2025). "Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES: Families POECILIIDAE, ANABLEPIDAE, VALENCIIDAE, APHANIIDAE and PROCATOPODIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Scolichthys greenwayi". AquaPortail (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Scolichthys greenwayi". FishBase. April 2025 version.
- Wischnath, L., 1993. Atlas of livebearers of the world. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., United States of America. 336 p.