Edit Boulengerella lateristriga

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Name

Scientific name

Boulengerella lateristriga

Described by

Authority Boulenger, Year 1895, Bracketed

Family

Ctenoluciidae

Common names

Striped Pike 'Characin'

Photograph credits

All 2 credited

Summary

The striped pike 'characin', Boulengerella lateristriga, is a ctenoluciid from the rio Negro basin and parts of the upper Río Orinoco. It a…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

258mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 240 cm, Minimum depth 90 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 22–28°C, pH 4–7

Hardness

1–10dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Predatory

Community suitability

Not for a community

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Brazil, Venezuela, Arirará, Atabapo, Atacavi, Casiquiare, Marauiá, Negro, Orinoco, Pasimoni, Ventuari, Yarua, Yatua

Writing

Etymology

Boulengerella: named for Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger (1858-1937). lateristriga: from the Latin latus, meaning 'flank', and striga, meanin…

Distribution

Type locality is 'Manaus, Brazil' and modern records suggest this species is restricted to the rio Negro basin in Brazil and Colombia plus parts of the upper R…

Habitat

Appears limited to black water rivers and tributaries in which the water is typically stained darkly with humic acids and other chemicals released by decaying …

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base dimensions of 240 ∗ 90 cm or more is recommended.

Maintenance

Relatively unfussy although some surface cover in the form of floating or overhanging vegetation is appreciated. It does best if there is a high proportion of …

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

An obligate predator feeding mostly on smaller fishes and insects in nature but in most cases adapting well to dead alternatives in captivity. Smaller specimen…

Behaviour and compatibility

Peaceful with anything too large to swallow and can be maintained in a community provided tankmates are chosen with care. Aggressively territorial or very comp…

Sexual dimorphism

Not written yet

Reproduction

Unrecorded.

Notes

The dorsal-fin base is located mostly posterior to a vertical through the anal-fin origin and this character distinguishes it from all other congeners except B…

The dorsal-fin base is located mostly posterior to a vertical through the anal-fin origin and this character distinguishes it from all other congeners except B. maculata.

B. lateristriga differs from B. maculata in presence of a thin, dark stripe extending from the rear of the orbit to the caudal peduncle (vs. stripe limited to postorbital surface of the head when present), the presence (vs. absence) of distinct, dark crossbars on the lobes of the caudal-fin, absence (vs. presence) of randomly-distributed dark spots on the upper body, 55-65 (vs. 73-84) predorsal scales, 14-17 (vs. 17-23) scale rows between the dorsal-fin origin and ventral midline, and a relatively short (vs. relatively long) dorsal-fin.

Both species also possesses a broader dark midlateral stripe on the body which tends to be more well-defined in B. lateristriga than in B. maculata.

Boulengerella differs from Ctenolucia, the only other genus currently contained in the family Ctenolucidae, by a series of derived features including possession of 87-124 (vs. 45-50) lateral line scales, presence of a strongly (vs. weakly) developed fleshy appendage at the tip of the snout and absence (vs. presence) of fleshy flaps on the lower jaw.

Within the order Characiformes the family Ctenoluciidae is also distinguished by a set of synapomorphic characters as follows: tapering body shape; elongate jaw shape; possession of many small teeth with curved tips arranged in a single series within each jaw.

Characiformes is among the most diverse orders of freshwater fishes currently including close to 2000 valid species distributed among 19 families.

This tremendous taxonomical, and morphological, diversity has historically impaired the ability of researchers to resolve their genetic relationships with many genera remaining incertae sedis.

A further limiting factor has been that in many cases exhaustive study of these on an individual basis is the only way to resolve such problems.

Modern molecular phylogenetic techniques have allowed some headway, though, and research published by Calcagnotto et al. (2005) revealed some interesting hypotheses.

Their results suggest Ctenoluciidae to belong to a trans-atlantic, monophyletic clade alongside the families Lebiasinidae and Hepsetidae, this assemblage further forming a sister group to Alestidae.

Others such as Oliveira et al. (2011) have concluded that the family Erythrinidae is also closely-related to this grouping with Hepsetidae and Alestidae more distant.

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References

4 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References