AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

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1) AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

1.1) CLASSIFICATION OF AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

1.2) GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

1.3) HABIT AND HABITAT

1.4) GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

1.5) Special features

1.6) Identification

1.7) REFERENCES

CLASSIFICATION OF AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )

Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )

Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)

Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )

Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)

Class :- AMPHIBIA ( Scaleless glandular skin , have 3 chambered heart , cold blooded, 2 occipital condyles, can live in water and land both )

Order :- URODELA OR CAUDATA ( Scaleless Amphibia having well developed tail, generally with two limbs, with or without external gills and gill-slits in adults).

Sub-order :- AMPHIUMOIDEA ( Body cylindrical, no eyes ) .

Genus :- Amphuima

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

It is found in USA.

HABIT AND HABITAT

Amphiuma is commonly found in swampy meadows and rice fields. It feeds on molluscs, crayfishes and small fishes.

GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF AMPHIUMA : CONGO EEL

Commonly called as Congo eel.
Amphiumas are elongate, paedomorphic, aquatic salamanders that superficially resemble the primitive sirens (Sirenidae).
Unlike sirens, amphiumas retain both pairs of girdles and limbs, though both are reduced in size, and the limbs are often both difficult to discern and of decreased function in adults.
Body is covered with smooth and black skin. The animal measuring about 90 cm is divided into head, trunk and tail Hand contains eyes, nostrils and mouth.
Eyes are well developed and functional, but without eyelids.
Forelimbs and hind limbs poorly developed and do not help in locomotion.
In the larval stage, however, the limbs are larger relative to body size, and are used for walking. Amphiumas also lack external gills (while retaining one of three pairs of larval gill slits), and their teeth are pedicellate.
Gill clefts are two in number but no gills. Lungs are present. Trachea is long.
Eggs are laid in water and female coils around the eggs till they hatch.

Special features

Amphiuma is also a perennial, partly metamorphosed salamandrid derivation small eyes. It shows parental care. It has retained several larval characters such as lidless in parallel arrangement of maxillary and vomerine teeth four branchial arches and amphicoelia vertebrae.

Amphiuma exhibits one of the largest complements of DNA in the living world, around 25 times more than a human

Identification

Since this urodele has lidless eyes and above features, hence it is Amphiuma.

REFERENCES

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