Teleostei (teleosts) > 
Characiformes (Characins) > 
Cynodontidae (Dogtooth characins)						
							
							Etymology: Rhaphiodon: Greek, rhamphos = bill, peak + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Spix & Agassiz.						
					
				
					Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range					
						Ecology					
				
				
				
					Freshwater;  pelagic. Tropical				
				
			
			
			
				
				
				
					South America:  Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná River basins (Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers) and rivers of Guyana.
				
				
			
			
				
					Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
				
				
				
					Maturity: Lm 31.5  range ? - ? cm
 Max length : 80.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81048); max. published weight: 2.1 kg (Ref. 40637)				
				 
			
			
						
				
					Short description					
					Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics					
				
				
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Apparently carnivorous, probably ichthyophagous.  Maximum length reported to reach 64 cm SL (Ref. 26147).			
			 
			
			
			
				
					Life cycle and mating behavior					
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
				
				
				
								
				
			
			 
				
				
				
					Toledo-Piza, M., 2003. Cynodontidae (Cynodotids). p. 234-237. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 38270)
				
				 
			
			
			
							
					
						IUCN Red List Status   (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
				 
					
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Threat to humans  
				
				
				
					  Harmless				
				
			 
			
			
			
			
				
					Human uses  				
				
				
					Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums				
				
				
			
			
						
			
			
			
				
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					Estimates based on models				
				
				
				
				
				
					
					Phylogenetic diversity index  (Ref. 
82804):  PD
50 = 1.0039   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].					
													Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00331 (0.00211 - 0.00520), b=3.17 (3.04 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body  (Ref. 
93245).
					
					Trophic level  (Ref. 
69278):  4.5   ±0.80 se; based on food items.					
											
				
				
									
					
											
				
									
					Fishing Vulnerability  (Ref. 
59153):  High vulnerability (59 of 100). 
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