Caquetaia

Caquetaia
Caquetaia myersi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Cichlinae
Tribe: Heroini
Genus: Caquetaia
Fowler, 1945
Type species
Caquetaia amploris
Fowler, 1945

Caquetaia is a small genus of cichlid fishes from tropical South America. The genus currently contains three species. Caquetaia spp. are ambush predators that predominantly feed on invertebrates. Seasonal fluctuations in water level have been shown to contribute to Caquetaia spp. consuming a larger variety of invertebrates, especially when the water level is low during dry seasons.[1] Caquetaia are known for their highly protrusible jaws, an adaptation hypothesized to improve their ability to capture prey by enhancing overall ram velocity.[2]

Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[3]

The turquoise (or umbee) cichlid was formerly included, but is now placed in its own genus Kronoheros.

References

  1. ^ C. P. Röpke; E. Ferreira; J Zuanon (2014). "Seasonal changes in the use of feeding resources by fish in stands of aquatic macrophytes in an Amazonian floodplain, Brazil". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 97 (4): 401–414. Bibcode:2014EnvBF..97..401R. doi:10.1007/s10641-013-0160-4. S2CID 254467231.
  2. ^ T. B. Waltzek; P. C. Wainwright (2003). "Functional Morphology of Extreme Jaw Protrusion in Neotropical Cichlids". Journal of Morphology. 257 (1): 96–106. doi:10.1002/jmor.10111. PMID 12740901.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Caquetaia". FishBase. June 2018 version.


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