Dwarf sirens are eel-like salamanders of the genus Pseudobranchus. Dwarf sirens possess external gills throughout adulthood and lack hind legs, and can be distinguished from members of the genus Siren in that dwarf sirens have three toes on each foot rather than four. Whereas sirens have three gill slits, dwarf sirens keep just a single slit.[2] Like sirens, dwarf sirens are restricted to the Southeastern United States.
| Dwarf siren Temporal range: [1]
| |
|---|---|
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| Pseudobranchus striatus | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Sirenidae |
| Genus: | Pseudobranchus Gray, 1825 |
| Diversity | |
| 2 extant species | |
| |
Species
editThe genus Pseudobranchus consists of the following extant species:
- Southern dwarf siren (P. axanthus)
- Narrow-striped dwarf siren (P. a. axanthus)
- Everglades dwarf siren (P. a. belli)
- Northern dwarf siren (P. striatus)
- Broad-striped dwarf siren (P. s. striatus)
- Gulf Hammock dwarf siren (P. s. lustricolus)
- Slender dwarf siren (P. s. spheniscus)
There are also two extinct species known from fossil evidence:
- †Pseudobranchus vetustus (Miocene to Pliocene of Florida)
- †Pseudobranchus robustus (Pleistocene of Florida)
References
edit- ^ "Pseudobranchus Gray 1825 (dwarf siren)". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ Dwarf siren - The University of Texas at Austin
External links
edit
Wikispecies has information related to Pseudobranchus.
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