Mylossoma | |
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Mylossoma aureum | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Characiformes |
Family: | Serrasalmidae |
Genus: |
Mylossoma C. H. Eigenmann & C. H. Kennedy, 1903 |
Type species | |
Myletes albiscopus Cope, 1872
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Mylossoma is a genus of serrasalmids from tropical and subtropical South America, including the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Lake Maracaibo and Paraguay- Paraná. [1] These common fish are found both in main river sections and floodplains. [2] They support important fisheries and based on a review by IBAMA, they are the seventh most caught fish by weight in the Brazilian Amazon. [3] They primarily feed on plant material such as seeds and fruits (to a lesser extent invertebrates), and in their ecology they generally resemble the larger tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). [2] Mylossoma reach up to 28.5 cm (11.2 in) in length [1] and 1 kg (2.2 lb) in weight. [2]
There are currently 5 recognized species in this genus: [4] [5]