Hemiodontidae

The Hemiodontidae are a small family of freshwater characins found in northern South America, south to the Paraná-Paraguay Basin. The larger species are popular food fish.^[1]

Hemiodontidae Temporal range: Middle Miocene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Hemiodus gracilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Suborder:	Characoidei
Family:	Hemiodontidae Bleeker, 1859
Genera
See the text

Hemiodontids have a streamlined body shape; many are fast-swimming, and are able to leap out of the water to escape predators. The adults of all species except Micromischodus sugillatus have no teeth on their lower jaws. Most species have a round spot on the side of the midbody and a stripe along the lower lobe of the caudal fin. The largest hemiodontids are around 50 cm (20 in) in length.^[1]

Fossil remains of Hemiodus are known from the Middle Miocene-aged Pebas Formation of Peru.^[2]

Genera

The family has around 29 known species, as well as several undescribed species, in five genera:^[3]

• Anodus Cuvier, 1829
• Argonectes Böhlke & Myers, 1956
• Bivibranchia Eigenmann, 1912
• Hemiodus Müller, 1842
• Micromischodus Roberts, 1971