Callichthyidae
| Armored catfish Temporal range: Late Paleocene - Recent |
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| Corydoras semiaquilus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Superfamily: | Loricarioidea |
| Family: |
Callichthyidae Bonaparte, 1838 |
| Genera | |
Callichthys
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Callichthys
Dianema
Hoplosternum
Lepthoplosternum
Megalechis
Aspidoras
Brochis
Corydoras
Scleromystax
Callichthyidae is a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes), called armored catfishes due to the two rows of bony plates (or scutes) running down the length of their bodies. This family contains some of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish, such as the species of Corydoras.
The family derives its name from the Greek words kallis (beautiful) and ichthys (fish). Callichthyidae is one of six families in the superfamily Loricarioidea. It is sister to a clade formed by Scoloplacidae, Astroblepidae, and Loricariidae. Within the family Callichthyidae, the two subfamilies have eight genera and about 177 species. They account for about 7% of all catfish. Most of these species are in the genus Corydoras, the largest catfish genus.
The subfamily Corydoradinae includes about 90% of the species in the family Callichthyidae and is one of the most diverse siluriform assemblages in the Neotropics, with about 170 valid species. It includes two tribes, Aspidoradini and Corydoradini. Aspidoradini contains Aspidoras and Scleromystax, while Corydoradini contains Corydoras and Brochis. Some believe the genus Brochis should be synonymized with Corydoras.
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Wikipedia