The Erythrinidae are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of freshwater fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

 found in river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s from Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 south as far as Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. They are common and are usually caught with hooks by fishermen, partially because of their voracious behaviour.

Erythrinidae include cylindrical fish with blunt heads, and predate on other fish. They can reach lengths of up to 90 centimetres (35.4 in). Some species can breathe air, enabling them to survive in water low in oxygen, and even to move over land between ponds.

Species

There are three 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 fourteen 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 family:

Family Erythrinidae

• Genus Erythrinus
  • Erythrinus erythrinus
  • Erythrinus kessleri
• Genus Hoplerythrinus
  • Hoplerythrinus cinereus
  • Hoplerythrinus gronovii
  • Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus - Aimara
• Genus Hoplias - Giant trahiras
  • Hoplias aimara
    Hoplias aimara
    The Hoplias aimara, also known as Anjumara, Anjoemara and Wolf Fish, is a species of freshwater fish found in the rivers of South America. There have been many unproven stories of vicious attacks on humans, as Jeremy Wade proves on River Monsters....
    
    - Wolf fish, Anjumara (Anjoemara)
  • Hoplias brasiliensis
  • Hoplias lacerdae
  • Hoplias macrophthalmus
  • Hoplias malabaricus - Tararira, Traíra
  • Hoplias microcephalus
  • Hoplias microlepis
  • Hoplias patana
  • Hoplias teres