Boulengerella cuvieri

Boulengerella cuvieri
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Ctenoluciidae
Genus:	Boulengerella
Species:	B. cuiveri
Binomial name
Boulengerella cuiveri Spix & Agassiz, 1829
Synonyms
List Xiphostoma cuvieri Spix & Agassiz, 1829 Hydrocynus cuvieri (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) Xiphostoma ocellatum Jardine, 1841 Boulengerella ocellata (Jardine, 1841) Boulengerella ocellatum (Jardine, 1841) Xiphostoma oseryi Castelnau, 1855 Xiphostoma longipinne Steindachner, 1876 Hydrocynus longipinnis (Steindachner, 1876) Boulengerella longipinne (Steindachner, 1876)

Boulengerella cuiveri, commonly known as the bicuda, is a species of pike-characin in the family Ctenoluciidae.

The fish is named in honor of French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), because he was first to accurately diagnose the family Salmones, which at that time included all characiform fishes.

Description

Boulengerella cuiveri grows to a maximum length of 88 cm (35 in), and has a maximum published weight of 6 kg (13 lb). It has ten to eleven dorsal soft rays, nine to eleven anal soft rays, and 48 to 49 vertebrae. It lacks dorsal and anal spines. It is a carnivore, and typically preys upon smaller fish.

Distribution and habitat

Boulengerella cuiveri is a freshwater fish native to the Amazon region. It can be found in Peru and Brazil, the Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela, and the tributaries of the Amazon, such as the Tocantins River, Araguaia River, Negro River, Madeira River, and others as far as Bolivia. Furthermore, it is can also be found in the Essequibo River in Guyana and French Guiana. It can be found on the surface of areas with rapidly flowing water, usually behind obstacles such as fallen logs or rocks.

Conservation status

In 2020, this species was assessed by the IUCN Red List and determined to be a least-concern species.