4-471: Sternopygus is a genus of glass knifefishes found in tropical and subtropical South America (south to the Río de la Plata Basin ), and Panama . They inhabit a wide range of freshwater habitats, from fast-flowing rivers to essentially static waters in floodplains, and shallow habitats to the bottom of deep rivers. S. macrurus will even visit brackish mangrove to feed. They are medium to large knifefish, with
8-470: A maximum total length of 23–140 cm (0.8–4.6 ft) depending on the exact species. They feed on invertebrates, small fish and fruits. Most members of Gymnotiformes are nocturnal , but Sternopygus are both nocturnal and diurnal . There are currently eleven recognized species in this genus. This Gymnotiformes -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Glass knifefish Glass knifefishes are fishes in
12-707: The family Sternopygidae in the order Gymnotiformes . Species are also known as rattail knifefishes . These fishes inhabit freshwater streams and rivers in Panama and South America . Many species are specialized for life in the deep (more than 20 m or 66 ft) swiftly moving waters of large river channels, like that of the Amazon and its major tributaries where they have been observed swimming vertically. Sternopygus species inhabit both streams and rivers. Many species are highly compressed laterally and translucent in life. These fish have villiform (brush-like) teeth on
16-559: The upper and lower jaws. The snout is relatively short. The eyes are relatively large, with a diameter equal to or greater than the distance between nares. The anal fin originates at the isthmus (the strip of flesh on the ventral surface between the gill covers). The maximum length is 140 cm (55 in) in Sternopygus macrurus . Eigenmannia vicentespelaea is the only cave-dwelling gymnotiform. Humboldtichthys kirschbaumi (formerly genus Ellisella ) from Upper Miocene of Bolivia
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