Type species: Petenia splendida Günther, 1862
Distinctive characters: Petenia is a monotypic genus including a highly specialized piscivorous species. Kullander (1996) gave a revised diagnosis of the genus. Among others distinguishing characters include:
- All teeth caniniform, strongly recurved.
- Coronalis pore and channel absent.
- Premaxillary ascending processes reaching to posterior margin orbit (young) or to posterior margin of skull.
- Dorsal and anal fin naked.
Species currently included:
Petenia splendida | C, E(Polychromatism), H(Laguna Noh) |
C=CRC Catalogue, E=Note on ecology, H=Habitat description |
Distribution: Atlantic slope from Grijalva River to Usumacinta River (México), Usumacinta River (Northern Guatemala), and Belize. Introduced west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (e.g. Rio Tonala, Rio Papaloapan system).
Further information: Petenia is known to exhibit a stricking color polymorphism. Beside the normal morph, consipcuous red individuals can be found in natural populations.
© Copyright 2005 Michi Tobler, all rights reserved
Citation:
Tobler, Michi. (Aug 11, 2005). "Short synopsis of Petenia Günther, 1862". Cichlid Room Companion. Retrieved on Mar 18, 2024, from: https://cichlidae.com/section.php?id=20.