All of these fishes are highly specialized ambush predators that resemble leaves, down to the point that their swimming style resembles a drifting leaf (thus the common name leaf fish); when a prey animal - such as an aquatic insect or smaller fish - comes within range, the fish attacks, swallowing the prey potentially within a quarter of a second. To aid in this lifestyle, all members of the family have large heads, cryptic colors, and very large protractile mouths capable of taking prey items nearly as large as they are. These intriguing behaviors have given the family a niche in the aquarium hobby; however, none of these species are easy to maintain in aquariums, requiring very clean, soft, acidic water and copious amounts of live foods.
^Betancur-Rodriguez; et al. (2017). "Phylogenetic Classification of Bony Fishes Version 4". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (1): 162. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3. PMC5501477. PMID 28683774.
^Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2019). "Polycentridae" in FishBase. February 2019 version.
^Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2019). "Nandidae" in FishBase. February 2019 version.
^Collins, R.A., R. Britz, and L. Ruber (2015). Phylogenetic systematics of leaffishes (Teleostei: Polycentridae, Nandidae). J Zoolog Syst Evol Res 53(4). doi:10.1111/jzs.12103
^J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 752. ISBN978-1-118-34233-6.
^Coutinho, D.P. & Wosiacki, W.B. (2014). "A new species of leaffish Polycentrus Müller & Troschel, 1849 (Percomorpha: Polycentridae) from the rio Negro, Brazil". Neotropical Ichthyology. 12 (4): 747–753. doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20140046.
polycentridae, leaffishes, small, fishes, family, according, fishbase, only, includes, genera, monocirrhus, polycentrus, from, fresh, brackish, water, tropical, south, america, although, included, asian, leaffish, family, nandidae, fishbase, most, recent, auth. Leaffishes are small fishes of the family Polycentridae According to FishBase it only includes the genera Monocirrhus and Polycentrus from fresh and brackish water in tropical South America 2 Although included in the Asian leaffish family Nandidae by FishBase 3 most recent authorities place the African Afronandus and Polycentropsis in Polycentridae 4 Polycentridae were formerly placed in the order Cichliformes but are now regarded as being incertae sedis in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha 5 Polycentridae Monocirrhus polyacanthus Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Actinopterygii unranked Ovalentaria Family PolycentridaeT N Gill 1858 Genera 1 Monocirrhus Heckel 1840 Polycentrus Muller amp Troschel 1848 All of these fishes are highly specialized ambush predators that resemble leaves down to the point that their swimming style resembles a drifting leaf thus the common name leaf fish when a prey animal such as an aquatic insect or smaller fish comes within range the fish attacks swallowing the prey potentially within a quarter of a second To aid in this lifestyle all members of the family have large heads cryptic colors and very large protractile mouths capable of taking prey items nearly as large as they are These intriguing behaviors have given the family a niche in the aquarium hobby however none of these species are easy to maintain in aquariums requiring very clean soft acidic water and copious amounts of live foods Genera and species editGenus Monocirrhus Heckel 1840 Monocirrhus polyacanthus Heckel 1840 Amazon leaffish Genus Polycentrus Muller amp Troschel 1849 Polycentrus jundia Coutinho amp Wosiacki 2014 6 Polycentrus schomburgkii Muller amp Troschel 1849 Guyana leaffish References edit Betancur Rodriguez et al 2017 Phylogenetic Classification of Bony Fishes Version 4 BMC Evolutionary Biology 17 1 162 doi 10 1186 s12862 017 0958 3 PMC 5501477 PMID 28683774 Froese Rainer and Daniel Pauly eds 2019 Polycentridae in FishBase February 2019 version Froese Rainer and Daniel Pauly eds 2019 Nandidae in FishBase February 2019 version Collins R A R Britz and L Ruber 2015 Phylogenetic systematics of leaffishes Teleostei Polycentridae Nandidae J Zoolog Syst Evol Res 53 4 doi 10 1111 jzs 12103 J S Nelson T C Grande M V H Wilson 2016 Fishes of the World 5th ed Wiley p 752 ISBN 978 1 118 34233 6 Coutinho D P amp Wosiacki W B 2014 A new species of leaffish Polycentrus Muller amp Troschel 1849 Percomorpha Polycentridae from the rio Negro Brazil Neotropical Ichthyology 12 4 747 753 doi 10 1590 1982 0224 20140046 nbsp This class Actinopterygii ray finned fish related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Polycentridae amp oldid 1188130374, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
