Chthonerpeton
Genus of amphibians
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chthonerpeton is a genus of semiaquatic caecilian amphibians in the family Typhlonectidae. They occur in South America east of the Andes, with most species occurring along the Brazilian Atlantic coast.[1][2]
| Chthonerpeton | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chthonerpeton indistinctum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Gymnophiona |
| Clade: | Apoda |
| Family: | Typhlonectidae |
| Genus: | Chthonerpeton Peters, 1880 |
With ten currently recognized species, Chthonerpeton is the most speciose genus within Typhlonectidae.[3] Species are characterized by having several diagnostic traits, including small ovate external nares, tentacular apertures located at an intermediate position between the eye and naris, and unroofed tentacular grooves.[4][5]
Phylogenetically, Chthonerpeton is often recovered as the sister taxon to all other typhlonectids and retains plesiomorphic features, such as a subcylindrical body and the absence of fins.[6][7]
Species
Chthonerpeton contains the following species:[1]
- Chthonerpeton arii Cascon and Lima-Verde, 1994
- Chthonerpeton braestrupi Taylor, 1968
- Chthonerpeton exile Nussbaum and Wilkinson, 1987
- Chthonerpeton indistinctum (Reinhardt and Lütken, 1862)
- Chthonerpeton markwilkinsoni Santos, Pineschi, and Zaher, 2025
- Chthonerpeton noctinectes Silva, Britto-Pereira, and Caramaschi, 2003
- Chthonerpeton onorei Nussbaum, 1986
- Chthonerpeton perissodus Nussbaum and Wilkinson, 1987
- Chthonerpeton tremembe Maciel, Leite, Silva-Leite, Leite, and Cascon, 2015
- Chthonerpeton viviparum Parker and Wettstein, 1929
