Bryconops chernoffi
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| Bryconops chernoffi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Iguanodectidae |
| Genus: | Bryconops |
| Species: | B. chernoffi |
| Binomial name | |
| Bryconops chernoffi | |
Bryconops chernoffi s a small species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Iguanodectidae. This fish is found in the rivers of Brazil. Specifically, it is found in the Rio Maicuru and Rio Ipixuna; the latter is a tributary of the former, which is a tributary of the Amazon River main. B. chernoffi demonstrates a preference for clear-water streams with sandy and rocky bottoms.
Bryconops chernoffi is one of the more recent contributions to the genus, and is named after Professor Barry Chernoff, an American ichthyologist responsible for many contributions to the knowledge of the genus Bryconops. It is known to peacefully live alongside various other freshwater fish.
Bryconops chernoffi ranges from 3.86 to 7.59 cm SL (standard length), with a holotype of 5.96 cm SL.[2] This places it slightly to the smaller side of average for a member of Bryconops, as fish therein are usually between 6 and 8 inches SL.[3] It has a somewhat convex underside, with the deepest point of its body located just in front of the origin of the dorsal fin.[4]
The body is generally dark-gray, with a silvery belly and silvery region around the eye; the dark-gray portions retain prominence when a specimen is preserved in alcohol.[2] The snout and mouth are a light brown color. There may be some red coloration on the forward portion of the dorsal fin, which is otherwise dark;[5] a dark dorsal fin is only otherwise seen in congener Bryconops piracolina when it comes to features of Bryconops as a genus.[2]
Bryconops chernoffi bears similarities to several congeners, but has some features that can be used to differentiate it. One thing unique to B. chernoffi in the genus Bryconops is a streak of dark pigmentation along the location of the cleithrum (a bone that could be compared to a shoulder blade, found spanning from the pectoral fin to the top of the cranium).[2] Such a marking is rare even amongst Characiformes as a whole. B. chernoffi is similar to B. allisoni, but has fewer predorsal scales (8–9 vs. 10–12, respectively).[6] Congener B. rheoruber has the same number of predorsal scales, but is dissimilar in that it has fewer teeth.[7]