Distichodontidae

The Distichodontidae are a family of African freshwater fishes of the order Characiformes.^[1]

Distichodontidae
Distichodus maculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Suborder:	Citharinoidei
Family:	Distichodontidae Günther, 1864
Genera
see text

Two evolutionary grades are found in this family; micropredators (predators of very small organisms like aquatic insect larvae) and herbivores have a nonprotractile upper jaw and a deep to shallow body, while carnivores have a movable upper jaw and an elongated body.^[1] Although the herbivores primarily feed on plant material, these species often have omnivorous tendencies. The carnivores include specialized fish-eaters (genus Mesoborus), fin-eaters (Belonophago, Eugnathichthys and Phago) and species that will feed on both whole fish and fins (Ichthyborus). The fin-eaters attack other fish, even ones that are much larger, where they bite off pieces of fins with their sharp teeth.^[2][3][4]

The fish in Distichodontidae vary greatly in size among species, with the smallest micropredators being less than 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, and the largest herbivores can reach up to 83 cm (33 in).^[5]

Genera

Distichodontidae contains the following genera:^[6]

• Belonophago Giltay, 1929
• Congocharax Matthes, 1964
• Distichodus J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844
• Dundocharax Poll, 1967
• Eugnathichthys Boulenger, 1898
• Ichthyborus Günther, 1864
• Mesoborus Pellegrin, 1900
• Microstomatichthyoborus Nichols & Griscom, 1917
• Monostichodus Vaillant, 1886
• Nannaethiops Günther, 1872
• Nannocharax Günther, 1867
• Neolebias Steindachner, 1894
• Paradistichodus Pellegrin, 1922
• Paraphago Boulenger, 1899
• Phago Günther, 1865
• Xenocharax Günther, 1867