Family Gasteropelecidae - Freshwater hatchetfishes
  Order
:
Gasteropelecidae
  Class
:
Teleostei
No. in FishBase
:
Genera : 3 | Species : 9 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
  Environment
:
Fresh : Yes | Brackish : No | Marine : No
  Division
:
Primary freshwater
  Aquarium
:
some
  First Fossil Record
:
     
  Remark
:
Fishes of the family Gasteropelecidae have the following characteristics: Frontal bone longitudinally corrugated, bearing a strong longitudinal ridge. Posttemporal and supracleithrum are fused into a single bone. The pelvic fins and associated bones are minute. They have an enlarged, strongly convex muscular pectoral girdle region, consisting of greatly expanded coracoids fused to a single fan-shaped and corrugated median bone. Their lateral line extends ventroposteriorly to approach the anterior termination of the anal fin, or they have 0 to 2 or 3 scales behind head and one or a very few scales on tail-fin base. Dorsal fin has 10 to 17 rays. Anal fin has 22 to 44 rays. An adipose fin is present in the larger species, but absent in the smaller species. All are capable of jumping relatively long or high distances by use of their modified, elongate pectoral fin rays and heavily-muscled, enlarged pectoral girdle. See Wiest, 1995 and Weitzman and Palmer, 1996 for discussions of their jumping abilities. Freshwater hatchetfish are found in Panama and all countries of South America except Chile. The family consists of three genera and nine species, ranging in standard length from 21.5 - 68 mm. Central America contains only one species, Gasteropelecus maculatus. South America contains species in three genera: Carnegiella, Gasteropelecus, and Thoracocharax. The species of the genera Gasteropelecus and Thoracocharax occur in open waters of larger rivers and streams and lakes, whereas species of Carnegiella occur in small creeks and streams (personal observations). Morphology and function of some of the smaller members of this family have been well studied (Weitzman, 1954 and Wiest, 1995), but the larger species, especially in Thoracocharax, have not been subject to such investigations. Most species probably have been described; however species problems associated with comparisons of population samples from different localities may reveal some new species. Members of this family are commercially collected for the aquarium trade.
  Etymology
:
Greek, gaster = stomach + Greek, pelekis = axe ( Ref. 45335).
  Reproductive guild
:
nonguarders
  Typical activity level
:
  Main Ref.
:
  Coordinator
:
  Deep Fin Classification
:
Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Otomorpha | Ostariophysi | | Otophysa | | | | | | Characiphysae | Characiformes | Characoidei | | Gasteropelecidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

 
Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]
Glossary
[ e.g. cephalopods]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Gasteropelecidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Gasteropelecus sternicla (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Clupea sternicla Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Gasteropelecus argenteus Lacepède, 1803
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Gasteropelecus maculatus Steindachner, 1879
acceptedseniororiginal
Thoracocharax maculatus (Steindachner, 1879)
synonymseniornew
Thoracocharax brevis Eigenmann, 1912
synonymjuniororiginal
Thoracocharax magdalenae Eigenmann, 1912
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniorchange in rank
Gasteropelecus levis (Eigenmann, 1909)
acceptedseniornew
Pterodiscus levis Eigenmann, 1909
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Thoracocharax securis (De Filippi, 1853)
acceptedseniornew
Gasteropelecus securis De Filippi, 1853
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Carnegiella strigata (Günther, 1864)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniornew
Carnegiella strigata vesca Fraser-Brunner, 1950
synonymjuniororiginal
Carnegiella vesca Fraser-Brunner, 1950
synonymjuniorchange in rank
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniorchange in rank
Carnegiella marthae schereri (non Fernandez-Yépez, 1958)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Carnegiella myersi Fernández-Yépez, 1950
acceptedseniororiginal
Carnegiella schereri Fernández-Yépez, 1950
acceptedseniororiginal
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