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Rhinelepis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhinelepis
Rhinelepis aspera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Loricariidae
Tribe: Rhinelepini
Genus: Rhinelepis
Agassiz, 1829
Type species
Rhinelepis aspera
Spix & Agassiz, 1829

Rhinelepis is a genus of South American armored catfish.

Species

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There are currently two recognized species in this genus:[1]

Appearance and anatomy

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Rhinelepis species are large and heavily plated, though the plates on the abdomen (belly) develop later than in Pseudorinelepis. They are generally charcoal gray without any markings. The head is long and fat. The fins are short and the adipose fin is entirely absent. The gill opening is much larger than that of most loricariids. The cheeks lack elongate odontodes.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Rhinelepis". FishBase. December 2011 version.
  2. ^ Armbruster, Jonathan W. (1998). "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Suckermouth Armored Catfishes of the Rhinelepis Group (Loricariidae: Hypostominae)". Copeia. 1998 (3): 620–636. doi:10.2307/1447792. JSTOR 1447792.