Kneriidae
Family of fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kneriidae are a small family of freshwater gonorhynchiform fishes native to sub-Saharan Africa.
| Kneriidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kneria angolensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gonorynchiformes |
| Family: | Kneriidae Günther, 1868[1] |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
The species in this family typically live in fast-flowing streams, often in highlands, and are small fish, no more than 15 cm (5.9 in) in length. The second subfamily Phractolaeminae contains only a single species, which typically inhabits stagnant or slow-moving waters and reaches up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. All Kneriidae have an elongated body shape. Some species are sexually dimorphic, with the male possessing a rosette on the gill covers that is absent in the females. Other species are neotenic, retaining larval features into adulthood.[2]
Classification
There are about 31 extant (living) species in four genera.[3] Phractolaemidae is now regarded as a full family.[4][5]
Genera
- Cromeria Boulenger, 1901
- Grasseichthys Géry, 1964
- Kneria Steindachner, 1866
- Parakneria Poll, 1965
In addition, the family includes the genus Mahengichthys Davis, Arratia & Kaiser, 2013, which only is known from Eocene fossil remains and is closer to Kneriinae than Phractolaemidae.[5][6]