Porotergus

Porotergus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gymnotiformes
Family: Apteronotidae
Subfamily: Apteronotinae
Genus: Porotergus
M. M. Ellis in C. H. Eigenmann, 1912[1]
Type species
Porotergus gymnotus
M. M. Ellis, 1912[1]

Porotergus is a genus of ghost knifefishes found in the Amazon and Essequibo basins in tropical South America. They are found over sandy bottoms in shallow (P. gymnotus) or deep rivers (two remaining).[2] They feed on small aquatic insect larvae. They have a stubby snout and are fairly small knifefish, with the largest species reaching up to 27 cm (11 in) in total length.[2]

Species

There are currently three described species in this genus:[3]

  • Porotergus duende de Santana & Crampton, 2010
  • Porotergus gimbeli M. M. Ellis, 1912, named for Jacob Gimbel, who financed the expedition on which it was discovered. P. gimbeli is depicted on a brass plaque appearing on the base of a flagpole which Gimbel later donated to UCLA.[4]
  • Porotergus gymnotus M. M. Ellis, 1912
  • Porotergus sambaibensis[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Apteronotidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b David de Santana, C.; W.G.R. Crampton (2010). "A Review of the South American Electric Fish Genus Porotergus (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae) with the Description of a New Species". Copeia. 2010 (1): 165–175. doi:10.1643/ci-05-136. S2CID 83780152.
  3. ^ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Porotergus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  4. ^ https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/17-places-you-won-t-see-on-the-official-ucla-campus-tour
  5. ^ Mendonça, Marina B.; Peixoto, Luiz A. W.; Chamon, Carine C.; Akama, A.; de Santana, C. David (November 2025). "Molecular phylogeny reveals a new species of ghost electric knifefish Porotergus Ellis 1912 (Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae), from the Amazon basin". Journal of Fish Biology. 107 (5): 1519–1531. doi:10.1111/jfb.70085. ISSN 0022-1112. PMC 12710834. PMID 40660617.