Characidae
Bleeding-heart tetra Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Actinopterygii   Order: Characiformes   Family: Characidae
Genera
Subfamily Aphyocharacinae  Aphyocharax Subfamily Bryconinae  Chalceus Subfamily Characidiinae  8 genera Subfamily Characinae  Acanthocharax  Acestrocephalus  Charax  Cynopotamus  Galeocharax  Gnathocharax  Heterocharax  Hoplocharax  Priocharax  Roeboides  Thayeria  ... Subfamily Crenuchinae  Crenuchus  Poecilocharax Subfamily Glandulocaudinae  16 genera Subfamily Iguanodectinae  Iguanodectes  Piabucus Subfamily Rhodasiinae  Carlana  Rhoadsia  Parastremma Subfamily Serrasalminae  Catoprion  Colossoma  Metynnis  Myleus  Mylossoma  Pygocentrus  Serrasalmus  and 6 other genera Subfamily Tetragonopterinae  Astyanax - Astynaxes  Byconamericus  Bryconops  Cheirodon  Gymnocorymbus  Hemibrycon  Hemigrammus  Hyphessobrycon  Inpaichthys  Megalamphodus  Moenkhausia  Oligosarcus  Paracheirodon  Rachoviscus  Tetragonopterus  Tyttobrycon  ... Subfamily - Incertae Sedis (i.e., taxonomic placement at this level uncertain)  Boehlkea  Exodon  Hasemania  Nematobrycon  Oligosarcus  Petitella  Roeboexodon

The Characidae or Characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. They originate in the Americas from southwestern Texas and Mexico through Central and South America. They vary in length with the smallest growing to a maximum length of 0.5 in (13 mm).

To some extent the family has served as a junk-basket category in the past. More recent revision has moved many former members of the family into their own related but distinct families - the Pencilfishes of the genus Nannostomus are a typical example, having now been moved into the Lebiasinidae, the assorted predatory characins belonging to Hoplias and Hoplerythrinus have now been moved into the Erythrinidae, and the Sabre-Toothed Fishes of the genus Hydrolycus have been moved into the Cynodontidae. There is still much revision needed, but progress in this area is being maintained at a steady pace.

Among those fishes that remain in the Characidae for the time being are the tetras, comprising the very similar genera Hemigrammus and Hyphessobrycon, as well as a few related forms. These include the cave and neon tetras.

The larger piranhas were originally classified as belonging to the Characidae, but various revisions place them in their own related family, the Serrasalmidae. This reassignment has yet to enjoy universal acceptance, but is gaining in popularity among taxonomists working with these fishes. Given the current state of flux of the Characidae, a number of other changes will doubtless take place, reassigning once-familiar species to other families. Indeed, the entire phylogeny of the Ostariophysans (fishes possessing a Weberian apparatus) has yet to be conclusively settled, and until that phylogeny is settled, the opportunity for yet more upheavals within the taxonomy of the Characoid fishes is considerable.

Related Families

The fishes whose families and genera are listed below are a diverse selection of fishes that were formerly classified as members of the Characidae, but which were moved into separate families of their own during recent taxonomic revisions (post-1994).

Family Acestrorhynchidae - South American Pike Characins

• Acestrorhynchus - Pike Characins or Freshwater Barracudas

Family Alestiidae - African tetras

• Alestes (or Brycinus)
  Hydrocynus - African Tigerfishes
  Micralestes
  Phenacogrammus
  Rhabdalestes
• and 13 other genera

Family Anostomidae - Headstanders

• Anostomus
  Abramites
  Leporinus
  Rhytiodus
  Sartor
  Schizodon

Family Chilodontidae - Headstanders

• Chaenotropus
  Chilodus

Family Citharinidae

• Belonophago - African Pike Characins
  Citharidium
  Citharinops
  Citharinus
  Congocharax
  Distichodus
  Dundocharax
  Eugnaichthys
  Hemigrammocharax
  Hemistochodus
  Ichthyborus
  Mesoborus
  Microstomatichthyoborus
  Nannaethiops
  Nannocharax
  Neolebias
  Paradistichodus
  Paraphago - African Pike Characins
  Phago - African Pike Characins
  Xenocharax

Family Ctenoluciidae - Pike Characoids & Gar Characins

• Boulengerella
  Ctenolucius - Gar Characins

Family Curimatidae

• Curimata
  Curimatella
  Curimatopsis
  Cyphocharax
  Potamorhina
  Psectrogaster
  Pseudocurimata
  Steindachnerina

Family Cynodontidae - Dogtooth Characins

• Cynodon
  Gilbertolus
  Hydrolycus - Sabre Tooth Fishes
  Rhaphiodon
  Roestes

Family Erythrinidae - Pirate Fishes, Trahiras

• Erythrinus
  Hoplias - Trahiras or Destroyers
  Hoplerythrinus

Family Gasteropelecidae - Hatchet Fishes

• Carnegiella - Dwarf Hatchet Fishes
  Gasteropelecus - Hatchet Fishes
  Thoracocharax

Family Hemiodontidae

• Anodus
  Argonectes
  Bivibranchia
  Hemiodus
  Micromischodus

Family Hepsetidae - Kafue Pike (monotypic)

• Hepsetus - sole species H. odoe, Kafue Pike

Family Lebiasinidae - Pencil Fishes and allies

• Copeina
  Copella - Splashing Tetras
  Derhamia
  Lebiasina
  Piabucina
  Pyrrhulina
  Nannostomus - Pencil Fishes

Family Parodontidae

• Apareiodon
  Parodon
  Saccodon

Family Prochilodontidae

• Ichthyoelephas
  Prochilodus
  Semaprochilodus

References

• "Characidae." ITIS Standard Report. (Integrated Taxonomic Information System: National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 2004-10-13). URL: ITIS 162848
• "Family Characidae - Characins." FishBase. ed. Froese, R. and D. Pauly (08/2004), URL: Characidae
• Géry, Jacques, Characoids of the World, ISBN 0-87666-458-3