Salminus
Salminus, popularly known as dorado or dourado, is a genus of relatively large (up to 1.3–1.4 m or 4.3–4.6 ft long[1][2]), predatory freshwater fish from the family Characidae. They are native to large tropical and subtropical rivers in South America, and undertake migrations during the rainy season to spawn.[3] They are very popular among recreational anglers and also support important commercial fisheries.[3]
| Salminus Temporal range: Miocene to present  | |
|---|---|
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| Salminus hilarii | |
| Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Actinopterygii | 
| Order: | Characiformes | 
| Family: | Characidae | 
| Subfamily: | Salmininae | 
| Genus: | Salminus Agassiz, 1829  | 
| Species | |
| 
 4, see text  | |
Species
    
Significant taxonomic confusion has surrounded this genus, and until a review in 1990, several additional species were recognised (most of these are junior synonyms of S. brasiliensis).[4] Although known for more than 150 years, S. franciscanus was only scientifically described in 2007.[3] Today, four extant (living) species are recognised:[5]
- Salminus affinis Steindachner, 1880 – Santiago and Magdalena basins in Ecuador and Colombia
 - Salminus brasiliensis (G. Cuvier, 1816) (dorado/golden dorado) – Paraguay, Uruguay, Chapare and Mamoré basins, and drainage of the Lagoa dos Patos
 - Salminus franciscanus F. C. T. Lima & Britski, 2007 – São Francisco basin
 - Salminus hilarii Valenciennes, 1850 – upper Paraná, Amazon and Orinoco basins
 
A fifth extinct species is only known from Miocene fossil remains:
- †Salminus noriegai – Argentina
 
References
    
- Fishing World-records: Salminus brasiliensis. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
 - Fishing World-records: Salminus franciscanus. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
 - Lima, F. C. T., and H. A. Britski (2007). Salminus franciscanus, a new species from the rio São Francisco basin, Brazil (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Characidae) Neotrop. Ichthyol. 5(3).
 - Géry, J. and L. Lauzanne (1990). Les types des espèces du genre Salminus Agassiz, 1829 (Ostariophysi, Characidae) du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Cybium 14(2): 113-124.
 - Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). Species of Salminus in FishBase. October 2011 version.
 
