Delturus
| Delturus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Delturus parahybae (Parahiba, Brazil, 24 May 1865) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Subfamily: | Delturinae |
| Genus: | DelturusC. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1889[1] |
| Type species | |
| Delturus parahybae C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1889[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Delturus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the familyLoricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfishes.[1] It is the type genus of the subfamilyDelturinae,[2] the catfishes in this subfamily are known as primitive suckermouth catfishes.[3] These catfishes are endemic to Brazil.[4]
Taxonomy
Delturus was first proposed as a genus in 1889 by the American ichthyologists Carl H. Eigenmann and Rosa Smith Eigenmann with two species, D. angulicauda and D. parahybae, contained within it and with D. parahybae being designated as the type species.[5] In 2006 Roberto Esser dos Reis, E. H. L. Pereira & Jonathan W. Armbruster proposed the new subfamily Delturinae for ths genus and the related genus, Hemipsilichthys. The subfamily is the sister group to all the other taxa within the Loricariidae, except for the genus Lithogenes.[6] The Loricariidae is classifed within the suborderLoricarioidei of the catfish order Siluriformes.[3]
Etymology
Delturus is a combination of the Greekdelta, being the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, and oura, which means "tail". This is a reference to the triagular cross section of the caudal fin.[7]
Species
Delturus contains the following valid species:[4]
- Delturus angulicauda (Steindachner, 1877)
- Delturus brevisReis & Pereira, 2006
- Delturus carinotus (La Monte, 1933)
- Delturus parahybaeC. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1889
Characteristics
Delturus is distinguished from Hemipsilichthys by their larger size, most species reaching standard lengths up to 20 cm (7.9 in), more robust bodies, large eyes and the membrane of the dorsal fin extends rearwards and touches the first plat in front of the adipose fin.[6]
Distribution
Delturus catfishes, and the subfamily Delturinae, are endemic to Brazil where they are restricted to the southeastern part of the Brazilian Shield with each species occurring in a different river system. This distribution suggests that southeastern Brazil acts as either a refugium for basal loricariid taxa or the region where the Loricariidae originate.[6]
References
- ^ abcdFricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Delturinae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 1–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
- ^ abRichard van der Laan; Ronald Fricke (eds.). "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ abFricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Delturus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^Eigenmann, Carl H., Eigenmann, Rosa Smith (1889). "Preliminary notes on South American Nematognathi, II". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 2. California Academy of Sciences: 28--56. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.3477.
- ^ abcReis, Roberto; Pereira, Edson; and Armbruster, Jonathan (2006). "Delturinae, a new loricariid catfish subfamily (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with revisions of Delturus and Hemipsilichthys". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 147: 277–299. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00229.x.
- ^Christopher Scharpf (12 October 2025). "Family LORICARIIDAE: Subfamily DELTURINAE Reis, Pereira & Armbruster 2006 (Primitive Suckermouth Catfishes)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
