Anablepsoides
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| Anablepsoides | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Anablepsoides lanceolatus, top | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Rivulidae |
| Genus: | Anablepsoides Huber, 1992 |
| Type species | |
| Rivulus atratus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Benirivulus Costa, 2006 | |
Anablepsoides is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae[3] native to tropical South America and the Lesser Antilles. The majority are from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as freshwater systems in the Guiana Shield, but a few species are from northern Venezuela, northeastern Brazil (Tocantins River basin, as well as systems in Ceará and Maranhão) and the Lesser Antilles (Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Martinique and Margarita).[4][5] Although largely restricted to lowlands, a few species occur in the lower East Andean foothills. They are mostly found in shallow fresh water swamps, streams, edges of rivers, ponds and pools, but a few may occur in brackish estuaries. They are able to jump over land and breathe air for short periods, allowing them to access isolated waters inhabited by few or no other fish.[4][5] Several Anablepsoides species have small distributions and some are seriously threatened by habitat loss; the entire known range of A. xinguensis is in the area flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.[6]
Similar to closely related genera such as Atlantirivulus, Cynodonichthys, Laimosemion and Melanorivulus, Anablepsoides are non-annual killifish.[7]
The largest, A. igneus, is up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in total length, but the vast majority of the Anablepsoides species only reach about half that size or less.[3]