Saxatilis Group (41 species): these fish are known as Spangled Pikes for the numerous white to gold spangles found along the sides of males and some females. They all possess a humeral blotch (shoulder spot) that may or may not have a ring around it. albopunctata, Pellegrin 1904
alta, Eigenmann 1912 (syn. C. cardiostigma)
anthurus, Cope 1872
britskii, Kullander 1986
coppenamensis, Ploeg 1987
frenata, Gill 1858
hemera, Kullander 1990
hummelincki, Ploeg 1991
inpa, Ploeg 1991
isbrueckeri, Ploeg 1991
labrina, (Spix & Agassiz 1829)
lepidota, Heckel 1840
lucius, Cope 1871
menezesi, Ploeg 1991
nickeriensis, Ploeg 1987
pellegrini, Ploeg 1991
proteus, Cope 1872
pydanielae, Ploeg 1991
santosi, Ploeg 1991
saxatilis, (Linnaeus 1758)
semicincta, Steindachner 1892
sipaliwini, Ploeg 1987
sp. "Approuage"
sp. "Arapiuns"
sp. "Belem"
sp. "British Guyana I"
sp. "British Guyana II"
sp. "Casiquiare"
sp. "False anthurus"
sp. "Inirida I" (sp. Bocon)
sp. "Inirida II"
sp. "Inirida III"
sp. "Jurua Eirunepe"
sp. "Madeira"
sp. "Orinoco Puerto Ayacucho"
sp. aff. britskii "Sao Francisco"
sp. Tocantins I
sp. Tocantins II
sp. Tocantins III
sveni, Ploeg 1991
vaillanti, Pellegrin 1904 (syn. alta?)

Lugubris Group (16 species): these are the largest of all pikes. Adults have a salami-like appearance. Possessing very small scales, they look smooth. Juveniles of these species have a unique spots-and-stripe pattern on their heads that they lose as they mature. adspersa, Heckel 1840
cincta, Regan 1905
johanna, Heckel 1840
lenticulata, Heckel 1840
lugubris, Heckel 1840
marmorata, Pellegrin 1903
rosemariae, Kullander 1997
sp. "Arapiuns lugubris"
sp. "Aripuana"
sp. "Atabapo"
sp. "Uaupes/Negro Multispot"
sp. "Venezuela"
sp. "Xingu I"
sp. "Xingu II"
sp. "Xingu III"
strigata, Gunther 1862

Acutirostris Group (9 species) : these rarely imported species are similar to lugubris group members but they all are more slender and have pointy heads. Juveniles of these species do not exhibit the spots-and-stripes pattern. acutirostris, Gunther 1862
multispinosa, Pellegrin 1903
percna, Kullander 1991
phaiospilus, Kullander 1991
sp. aff. acutirostris Madeira
sp. "Tapajos Red"
sp. "Trombetas"
ternetzi, Norman 1926
tigrina, Ploeg 1991

Reticulata Group (13 species) : these fish were members of the genus Batrachops and are now considered Crenicichla. C. cyanonotus, C. reticulata, C. semifasciata and C. stocki have extremely large, round heads and are often referred to as Froghead Pikes. The others are specialized and inhabit swift flowing waters and have compressed heads. They do not have a shoulder spot (with one exception) but possess a distinct caudal spot and the females exhibit a red to orange bar on their flanks and dorsal fins during breeding. In the rheophilic species, the red bar on the dorsal fin is restricted to the upper half of the soft rays. cametana, Steindachner 1911
cyanonotus, Cope 1871
cyclostoma, Ploeg 1986
geayi, Pellegrin 1903
jegui, Ploeg 1986
reticulata, (Heckel 1840)
sedentaria, Kullander 1986
semifasciata, (Heckel 1840)
sp. "Belly Crawler"
sp. "Tapajos Shoulder spot"
sp. aff. geayi
sp. aff. jegui
stocki, Ploeg 1991

Wallaci Group Species (11 species) : these are dwarf pikes. They rarely exceed 5 inches. Females of some species have ringed black spots on the dorsal fins. compressiceps, Ploeg 1986
heckeli, Ploeg 1989
notophthalmus, Regan 1913
regani, Ploeg 1989
sp. aff. heckelii "Cumina"
sp. aff. notophthalmus "Maici-Mirim Madeira"
sp. "Orinoco Dwarf"
sp. "Xingu Dwarf"
urosema, Kullander 1990
virgatula, Ploeg 1991
wallaci, Regan 1905

Lacustris Group (13 species) : this group is under revision and does not have a clear diagnosis but they are all found in Southeast Brazil. Females often have a ringed black spot on the dorsal fin and both sexes often have a diagonal stripe under the eye. They do not have a shoulder spot. Most of these are large species, with a possible exception of C. jupiaensis, a reputed rapids-dwelling dwarf species. celidochilus, Casciotta 1987
dorsocellata, Haseman 1911
haroldoi, Luengo & Britski 1974
iguassuensis, Haseman 1911
jaguarensis, Haseman 1911
jupiaensis, Britski & Luengo 1968
lacustris, (de Castelnau 1855)
mucuryna, von Ihering 1914
niederleinii, (Holmberg 1891)
punctata, (Regan 1905)
sp. Iguassu I
sp. Iguassu II
vittata, Heckel 1840

Scotti Group Species (3 species) : these are large gray species with suborbital stripe, dorsal fin spot in females and rows of horizontal lines along the sides. scotti, (Eigenmann 1907)
gaucho, Lucena & Kullander 1992
prenda, Lucena & Kullander 1992

Missioneira Group Species (7 species) : these Rio Uruguai endemics are characterized by an unusual suborbital marking, consisting of only a few spots, a prominent post temporal spot and spotting on the body. Some females possess a dorsal fin spot. C. punctata of the lacustris group may actually belong here. igara, Lucena & Kullander 1992
jurubi, Lucena & Kullander 1992
minuano, Lucena & Kullander 1992
missioneira, Lucena & Kullander 1992
sp. Giraffe
sp. aff. missioneira "Rio Forquilha"
tendybaguassu, Lucena & Kullander 1992

Other (1 species): macrophthalma, Heckel 1840.
This unique fish has enormous eyes and is nocturnal. It is shaped like a wallaci group species but grows to about 8 inches. This ill-fitting species is ironically the type species of the genus.

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http://geocities.datacellar.net/NapaValley/5491 Latest update: 30 April 2000 Comments on this page: E-Mail author