Distichodontidae

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

Distichodontidae
Distichodus maculatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Suborder:	Citharinoidei
Family:	Distichodontidae Günther, 1864
Genera
17, 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

The 17 genera include about 90 species:^[6]

• Genus Belonophago (two species)
• Genus Congocharax (two species)
• Genus Distichodus (23 species)
• Genus Dundocharax (one species)
• Genus Eugnathichthys (three species)
• Genus Hemigrammocharax (10 species)
• Genus Ichthyborus (four species)
• Genus Mesoborus (one species)
• Genus Microstomatichthyoborus (two species)
• Genus Monostichodus (three species) ^[7]
• Genus Nannaethiops (two species)
• Genus Nannocharax (28 species)
• Genus Neolebias (11 species)
• Genus Paradistichodus (one species)
• Genus Paraphago (one species)
• Genus Phago (three species)
• Genus Xenocharax (two species)