Biology:Alestidae
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; both are kept in aquaria, and tigerfish are utilized for food and as gamefish.
Although currently native only to African waterways, 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 that 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 (2026):[7]
- Family Alestidae Cockerell, 1910
- Subfamily Petersiinae Poll, 1967 (Tanzania robbers)
- Genus Petersius Hilgendorf, 1894
- Subfamily Alestinae Cockerell, 1910 (African tetras)
- Genus Alestes Müller & Troschel, 1844
- Genus Alestion Roberts, 2019
- Genus Bathyaethiops Fowler, 1949
- Genus Brycinus Valenciennes, 1850
- Genus Bryconaethiops Günther, 1873
- Genus Bryconalestes Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Hydrocynus Cuvier, 1816
- Genus Ladigesia Géry, 1968
- Genus Micralestes Boulenger, 1899
- Genus Rhabdalestes Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Tricuspidalestes Poll, 1967
- Subfamily Clupeocharacinae Pellegrin, 1926 (Congo tetras)
- Genus Alestopetersius Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Brachyalestes Günther, 1864
- Genus Brachypetersius Hoedeman, 1956
- Genus Clavocharax Wang, Stiassny & Melo, 2026[8]
- Genus Clupeocharax Pellégrin, 1926
- Genus Hemigrammopetersius Pellégrin, 1926
- Genus Nannopetersius Hoedeman, 1951
- Genus Phenacogrammus Eigenmann, 1907
- Subfamily Petersiinae Poll, 1967 (Tanzania robbers)
The following fossil genera are also known:
- Genus †Alestoides Monod & Gaudant, 1998 (Early Eocene of France)[9]
- 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)[9]
- Genus ?†Mahengecharax Murray, 2003 (Middle Eocene of Tanzania, taxonomic identity disputed)[2][9]
- 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]
Below are two cladograms: the left one is based on a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree from a 2023 analysis of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci,[10] while the right one is based on 2026 study's maximum likelihood tree analyzing UCEs with ultrafast bootstrap support:[8]
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References
- ↑ Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25031-7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e02-108.
- ↑ 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. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjes-2016-0006.
- ↑ 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" (in en). Geological Society, London, Special Publications 295 (1): 155–164. doi:10.1144/SP295.10. ISSN 0305-8719. https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/SP295.10.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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). doi:10.1093/evolinnean/kzae030. ISSN 2752-938X. https://academic.oup.com/evolinnean/article/3/1/kzae030/7848922.
- ↑ van der Laan, Richard (December 2017) (PDF). Freshwater fish list (23rd ed.). p. 997. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322153430.
- ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron; van der Laan, Richard, eds. "Genera in the family Alestidae". California Academy of Sciences. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=genus&family=Alestidae.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wang, Alice; Stiassny, Melanie L. J.; Melo, Bruno F. (2026-04-01). "Phylogenomics, biogeography, and description of a new subfamily and genus of African characiform fishes (Teleostei: Alestidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 217. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2026.108546. ISSN 1055-7903. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790326000163.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 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. https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/145/1/1/2627449.
- ↑ "Phylogenomics and Morphology of the African Fish Genus Brycinus with Revalidation of Brachyalestes and Description of a New Species from the Congo Basin (Teleostei: Alestidae)". Ichthyology & Herpetology 111 (4). November 2023. doi:10.1643/i2023033.
Wikidata ☰ Q386545 entry
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