The Hemiodontidae are a small family of freshwater characins found in northern South America, south to the Paraná-Paraguay Basin. The larger species are popular food fish.
Hemiodontids have a streamlined body shape; many are fast-swimming, and are able to leap out of the water to escape predators. The adults of all species except Micromischodus sugillatus have no teeth on their lower jaws. Most species have a round spot on the side of the midbody and a stripe along the lower lobe of the caudal fin. The largest hemiodontids are around in length.
Fossil remains of Hemiodus are known from the Middle Miocene-aged Pebas Formation of Peru.
Genera The family has around 29 known species, as well as several undescribed species, in five genera: Anodus Cuvier, 1829 Argonectes Böhlke & Myers, 1956 Bivibranchia C. H. Eigenmann, 1912 Hemiodus Müller, 1842 Micromischodus Roberts, 1971
References
Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.