Kneriidae

The Kneriidae are a small family of freshwater gonorhynchiform fishes native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Kneriidae Temporal range: Middle Eocene to present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Kneria angolensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gonorynchiformes
Family:	Kneriidae Günther, 1868[1]
Genera
See text

The species in this family typically live in fast-flowing streams, often in highlands, and are small fish, no more than 15 cm (5.9 in) in length. The second subfamily Phractolaeminae contains only a single species, which typically inhabits stagnant or slow-moving waters and reaches up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. All Kneriidae have an elongated body shape. Some species are sexually dimorphic, with the male possessing a rosette on the gill covers that is absent in the females. Other species are neotenic, retaining larval features into adulthood.^[2]

Classification

There are about 31 extant (living) species in four genera.^[3] Phractolaemidae is now regarded as a full family.^[4][5]

Genera

• Cromeria Boulenger, 1901
• Grasseichthys Géry, 1964
• Kneria Steindachner, 1866
• Parakneria Poll, 1965

In addition, the family includes the genus Mahengichthys Davis, Arratia & Kaiser, 2013, which only is known from Eocene fossil remains and is closer to Kneriinae than Phractolaemidae.^[5][6]