Ctenoluciidae also known as pike-characins, is a small family of freshwater fishes from Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

 and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

.

They have elongate, pike

Esox

Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...

-like bodies, and several sharp and conical teeth. They are relatively large (up to 1 metres (3.3 ft) in length), predatory fish.

Some of these fish, such as Ctenolucius hujeta, enter the aquarium fish hobby, often being labeled a "Freshwater Barracuda

Barracuda

The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...

" or "Freshwater Needlefish

Needlefish

Needlefish are piscivorous fishes primarily associated with very shallow marine habitats or the surface of the open sea. Some genera include species found in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments while a few genera are confined to freshwater rivers and streams, including Belonion,...

", descriptions of fish that are both unrelated to members of this family.

Species

There are only two genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 and seven species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 in this group:

Family Ctenoluciidae

• Genus Boulengerella
  • Boulengerella cuvieri
  • Boulengerella lateristriga - Striped pike-characin
  • Boulengerella lucius - Golden pike-characin
  • Boulengerella maculata - Spotted pike-characin
  • Boulengerella xyrekes
• Genus Ctenolucius
  • Ctenolucius beani
  • Ctenolucius hujeta - Gar characin