Characinae, Latreille, 1825

Node 213: Characinae (67 / 95 / 7 / 4)

Genera Acanthocharax Eigenmann , Acestrocephalus Eigenmann , Bryconexodon Géry , Charax , Cynopotamus , Exodon , Galeocharax , Phenacogaster , Priocharax ?, Roeboexodon , and Roeboides .

Exodon and Roeboexodon were included in the subfamily Characinae by Géry (1977), but later considered as incertae sedis by Lima et al. (2003), along with Bryconexodon and many other genera. Exodon is the sister group of Roeboides in the analysis by Calcagnotto et al. (2005), whereas it is related to Oligosarcus according to Lucena (1993). Lucena & Menezes (2003) included Gnathocharax , Heterocharax , Hoplocharax , and Lonchogenys in the Characinae but these are classified here, at least preliminarily in the case of Gnathocharax , in the subfamily Heterocharacinae .According to Lucena (1998) the miniature genus Priocharax is the sister group of a clade including Gnathocharax , Heterocharax , Hoplocharax , Lonchogenys , and the remaining characins. This position, basal to Heterocharacinae plus Characinae , would exclude Priocharax from the latter subfamily. Priocharax , however, was not analyzed and it is provisionally maintained in the Characinae pending specific studies.

Synapomorphies:

1. Length of sphenotic spine (10): (1> 0) not extending ventrally to articulation between sphenotic and hyomandibula. Reversal of synapomorphy 1 of node 180. Paralleled in nodes 176 and 197. Reversed in node 218.

2. Articulation between second and third infraorbitals (62): (0> 2) posteroventrally angled. Paralleled in nodes 176 and 300 and in Bryconops melanurus and Hollandichthys multifasciatus .

3. Number of gill rakers on first hypobranchial and ceratobranchial (196): (0> 1) ten or fewer. Paralleled in Bryconops melanurus , Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis , Iguanodectes geisleri , and Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae . Some trees: Paralleled in node 196 and in Hemigrammus erythrozonus and Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi .

4. Number of 2n chromosomes (363): (0> 1) 52 or more. Paralleled in the Serrasalmidae , in node 196, and in Chalceus macrolepidotus , Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi , Markiana nigripinnis , and Rhaphiodon vulpinus . Some trees: Paralleled in Hemigrammus unilineatus .