Mimagoniates

Mimagoniates is a genus of characid fish from rivers and streams in southern and eastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina and Paraguay.^[1][2] Commonly known as croaking tetra or chirping tetra because they can produce sounds, some of these fish were formerly included in Glandulocauda. They have a supplementary breathing organ located above the gills which makes a faint chirping sound when these fish come to the surface to gulp air. It also plays a role in courtship as the male chases and hovers near the female while taking gulps of air and expelling it to make a rhythmic noise.^[3] Croaking behavior may have evolved from a behavior called "surface nipping", which occurs when the fish is searching for food. This gulping of air has no useful respiratory function.^[4]

Species

There are currently 7 recognized species in this genus:^[2]

• Mimagoniates barberi Regan, 1907
• Mimagoniates inequalis (C. H. Eigenmann, 1911) (Croaking tetra)
• Mimagoniates lateralis (Nichols, 1913)
• Mimagoniates microlepis (Steindachner, 1877) (Blue tetra)
• Mimagoniates pulcher Menezes & S. H. Weitzman, 2009
• Mimagoniates rheocharis Menezes & S. H. Weitzman, 1990
• Mimagoniates sylvicola Menezes & S. H. Weitzman, 1990

References