About Austrolebias bellottii (Steindachner, 1881)
Common Name and Classification
Austrolebias bellottii, commonly known as the Argentine pearlfish, is a killifish species belonging to the family Rivulidae.
Native Distribution
It is native to the Paraná River and Uruguay River basins, which span Argentina and Uruguay.
Initial Species Description
This species was first described as Cynolebias bellottii in 1881 by Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner, from type specimens collected at La Plata, Argentina.
Etymology of Specific Name
The species' specific name honors Italian biologist and paleontologist Cristoforo Bellotti (1823–1919), who provided Steindachner with specimens from his collection housed at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano.
Type Species Designation
A. bellottii is the designated type species of the genus Austrolebias.
