Prochilodontidae
Sign in to saveThe Prochilodontidae, commonly known as the bocachicos or flannel-mouthed characins, are a small family of freshwater fishes found primarily in the northern half of South America, south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. This family is closely related to the Curimatidae, and were included in Characidae before that family was revised and split.
Species
flannel-mouth characiforms
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassTeleostei
- OrderCharaciformes
- FamilyProchilodontidae
Habitatfreshwater
via GBIF
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Biology
- Relation to humans
- References
The Prochilodontidae, commonly known as the bocachicos or flannel-mouthed characins, are a small family of freshwater fishes found primarily in the northern half of South America, south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. This family is closely related to the Curimatidae, and were included in Characidae before that family was revised and split.
These fish have fleshy lips bearing rows of small teeth; their lips are able to be extended into a sucking disc used to feed on detritus and aufwuchs. They often live in huge schools, traveling upriver to spawn. In their native range, they are a popular food fish, and are caught in large numbers.