Alestidae
| Alestidae Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Brycinus longipinnis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Superfamily: | Alestoidea |
| Family: | Alestidae Cockerell 1910 |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
African tetras (family Alestidae, formerly spelled Alestiidae) are a group of characiform fish found exclusively in Africa.[1] This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tigerfish.
Although presently found only in Africa, fossil evidence suggests that during the Paleogene, they ranged as far north as southern Europe and as far east as the Arabian subcontinent.[2] Fossil remains date back to potentially the Late Paleocene with Hydrocynus remains known from Algeria.[3] Alestid-like teeth are also known from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of France, and phylogenetic evidence also suggests they diverged around this time.[4][5]
Taxonomy
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Taxonomy based on Van der Laan 2017[6] and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2025):[7]
- Family Alestidae Cockerell, 1910
- Genus Alestes Müller & Troschel, 1844
- Genus Alestion Roberts, 2019
- Genus Alestopetersius Hoedeman, 1951 inc. Duboisialestes Poll 1967
- Genus Bathyaethiops Fowler, 1949
- Genus Brachyalestes Günther, 1864 [Brycinus nurse species-group]
- Genus Brachypetersius Hoedeman, 1956
- Genus Brycinus Valenciennes, 1850 [Brycinus macrolepidotus species-group]
- Genus Bryconaethiops Günther, 1873
- Genus Bryconalestes Hoedeman, 1951 [Brycinus longipinnis species-group]
- Genus Clupeocharax Pellégrin, 1926
- Genus Hemigrammopetersius
- Genus Hydrocynus Cuvier, 1816
- Genus Ladigesia Géry, 1968
- Genus Micralestes Boulenger, 1899
- Genus Nannopetersius Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Petersius Hilgendorf, 1894
- Genus Phenacogrammus Eigenmann, 1907
- Genus Rhabdalestes Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Tricuspidalestes Poll, 1967
The following fossil genera are also known:
- Genus †Alestoides Monod & Gaudant, 1998 (Early Eocene of France)[8]
- Genus †Arabocharax Micklich & Roscher, 1990 (Oligocene of Saudi Arabia)[2]
- Genus †Bunocharax Van Neer, 1994 (Miocene of Africa)
- Genus †Eurocharax Gaudant, 1980 (?Oligocene of France)[8]
- Genus ?†Mahengecharax Murray, 2003 (Middle Eocene of Tanzania, taxonomic identity disputed)[2][8]
- Genus †Sindacharax Greenwood & Howes, 1975 (Miocene of Africa)
The Lepidarchidae, whose two genera were previously placed in this family, have been found to be an ancient group more closely related to the Hepsetidae, and are thus placed in their own family now.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25031-7
- ^ a b c Murray, Alison M (2003). "A new characiform fish (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from the Eocene of Tanzania". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 40 (4): 473–481. doi:10.1139/e02-108. ISSN 0008-4077.
- ^ Hammouda, Sid-Ahmed; Murray, Alison M.; Divay, Julien D.; Mebrouk, Fateh; Adaci, Mohammed; Bensalah, Mustapha (2016). "Earliest occurrence of Hydrocynus (Characiformes, Alestidae) from Eocene continental deposits of Méridja Hamada, northwestern Sahara, Algeria". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 53 (10): 1042–1052. doi:10.1139/cjes-2016-0006. ISSN 0008-4077.
- ^ Otero, O.; Valentin, X.; Garcia, G. (2008). "Cretaceous characiform fishes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from Northern Tethys: description of new material from the Maastrichtian of Provence (Southern France) and palaeobiogeographical implications". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 295 (1): 155–164. doi:10.1144/SP295.10. ISSN 0305-8719.
- ^ a b Melo, Bruno F; Stiassny, Melanie L J (2024-01-01). "Phylogenomic and anatomical evidence for the Late Cretaceous diversification of African characiform fishes, including a new family, under the influence of the Trans-Saharan Seaway". Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society. 3 (1): kzae030. doi:10.1093/evolinnean/kzae030. ISSN 2752-938X.
- ^ van der Laan, Richard (December 2017). Freshwater fish list (PDF) (23rd ed.). p. 997. ISSN 2468-9157.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Alestidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ a b c ZANATA, ANGELA M.; VARI, RICHARD P. (2005-09-01). "The family Alestidae (Ostariophysi, Characiformes): a phylogenetic analysis of a trans-Atlantic clade". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 145 (1): 1–144. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00183.x. ISSN 0024-4082.
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