Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gymnotiformes (Knifefishes) >
Hypopomidae (Bluntnose knifefishes)
Etymology: Brachyhypopomus: Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, hypo = under + Greek, poma, -atos = cover (Ref. 45335); pinnicaudatus: Specific name is derived from the Latin pinna, meaning feather, and caudatus, meaning tailed, because of the distinctive compressed and "feather-like" appearance of the caudal filament of the male.
Issue
Ecology: Low conductivity, stagnant water, hypoxic-anoxic habitats, associated with emergent and floating vegetation.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: eastern South America from the Catatumbo River basin, Orinoco and the Guianas to La Plata River basin; Amazon River basin in Peru.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 18.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 37053)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Facultative air-breathing in the genus (Ref. 126274); Low conductivity, stagnant water, hypoxic-anoxic habitats, associated with emergent and floating vegetation (Ref. 37053). Encountered in shallow edges of a stream (Ref. 75964). Maximum length reported to reach 20 cm SL (Ref. 12202).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Albert, J.S., 2003. Hypopomidae (Bluntnose knifefishes). p. 494-496. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 37053)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00372 (0.00139 - 0.00994), b=3.06 (2.83 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).