{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic_taxobox | image = Cameroon2011 4 (2) (6857663022).jpg | image_upright = 1.2 | image_caption = ''Hepsetus lineatus'' | parent_authority = C. L. Hubbs, 1939<ref name = "Cof family">{{Cof family|family=Hepsetidae|access-date=20 June 2025}}</ref> | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Hepsetus | authority = Swainson, 1838<ref name = "Cof family"/> | type_species = ''Salmo odoe'' | type_species_authority = Bloch, 1794<ref name = "Cof family"/> | synonyms = {{Genus list | Hydrocyonoides | Castelnau, 1861 | Sarcodaces | Günther, 1864 }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = "Cof family"/> }}
'''''Hepsetus''''' is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the monotypic family '''Hepsetidae''', the '''African pikes''' or '''African pike characins''', in the order Characiformes. It was long believed that only a single widespread species existed, ''H. odoe'',<ref name=Nelson/> but studies in 2011–2013 have shown that this species is restricted to parts of West and Central Africa. The well-known species of southern Africa, including Kafue River, is ''Hepsetus cuvieri''.<ref name=Zengeya2011>{{cite journal |last1=Zengeya |first1=T. A. |last2=Decru |first2=E. |author2-link=Eva Decru |last3=Vreven |first3=E. |author3-link=Emmanuel Vreven|name-list-style=amp |title=Revalidation of ''Hepsetus cuvieri'' (Castelnau, 1861) (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) from the Quanza, Zambezi and southern part of the Congo ichthyofaunal provinces |journal=Journal of Natural History |date=2011 |volume=45 |issue=27–28 |pages=1723–1744 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2011.560724|bibcode=2011JNatH..45.1723Z }}</ref> These predatory fish reach up to {{convert|44|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name=FishBase>{{FishBase genus |genus=Hepsetus |month=December |year=2020}}</ref>
A 2024 study found their closest relatives to be the newly defined family Lepidarchidae, which they diverged from during the Late Cretaceous.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Melo |first=Bruno F |last2=Stiassny |first2=Melanie L J |date=2024-01-01 |title=Phylogenomic and anatomical evidence for the Late Cretaceous diversification of African characiform fishes, including a new family, under the influence of the Trans-Saharan Seaway |url=https://academic.oup.com/evolinnean/article/3/1/kzae030/7848922 |journal=Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=3 |issue=1 |article-number=kzae030 |doi=10.1093/evolinnean/kzae030 |issn=2752-938X|doi-access=free }}</ref> The divergence of these two families appears to have been driven by the Trans-Saharan Seaway, which served as a marine barrier between western and eastern Africa at the time.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Melo |first=Bruno F |last2=Stiassny |first2=Melanie L J |date=2024-01-01 |title=Phylogenomic and anatomical evidence for the Late Cretaceous diversification of African characiform fishes, including a new family, under the influence of the Trans-Saharan Seaway |url=https://academic.oup.com/evolinnean/article/3/1/kzae030/7848922 |journal=Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=3 |issue=1 |article-number=kzae030 |doi=10.1093/evolinnean/kzae030 |issn=2752-938X|doi-access=free }}</ref>
==Species== There are currently six recognized species in this genus:<ref name=FishBase/><ref name=CoF>{{Cof record |genid=9162 |title=''Hepsetus'' |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref> * ''Hepsetus cuvieri'' <small>(Castelnau, 1861)</small><ref name=Zengeya2011/> * ''Hepsetus kingsleyae'' <small>Vreven, Decru & Snoeks, 2013</small><ref name=Decru2013a>{{cite journal |last1=Decru |first1=E. |last2=Vreven |first2=E. |last3=Snoeks |first3=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=A revision of the Lower Guinean ''Hepsetus'' species (Characiformes; Hepsetidae) with the description of ''Hepsetus kingsleyae'' sp. nov. |journal=Journal of Fish Biology |date=2013 |volume=82 |issue=4 |pages=1351–1375 |doi=10.1111/jfb.12079 |pmid=23557311|bibcode=2013JFBio..82.1351D }}</ref> * ''Hepsetus lineatus'' <small>(Pellegrin, 1926)</small><ref name=Decru2013a/> * ''Hepsetus microlepis'' <small>(Boulenger, 1901)</small><ref name=Decru2015>{{cite journal |last1=Decru |first1=E. |last2=Snoeks |first2=J. |last3=Vreven |first3=E. |name-list-style=amp |title=Taxonomic evaluation of the ''Hepsetus'' from the Congo basin with the revalidation of ''H. microlepis'' (Teleostei: Hepsetidae) |journal=Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters |date=2015 |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=273–287 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285115889 }}</ref> * ''Hepsetus occidentalis'' <small>Decru, Snoeks & Vreven, 2013</small><ref name=Decru2013b>{{cite journal |last1=Decru |first1=E. |last2=Snoeks |first2=J. |last3=Vreven |first3=E. |name-list-style=amp |title=The true identity of the holotype of ''Hepsetus odoe'' and the names of the two West African species of ''Hepsetus'' (Teleostei: Hepsetidae) |journal=Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters |date=2013 |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=187–192 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290539090 }}</ref> * ''Hepsetus odoe'' <small>(Bloch, 1794)</small><ref name=Decru2011>{{cite journal |last1=Decru |first1=E. |last2=Vreven |first2=E. |last3=Snoeks |first3=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=A revision of the West African ''Hepsetus'' (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) with a description of ''Hepsetus akawo'' sp. nov. and a redescription of ''Hepsetus odoe'' (Bloch, 1794) |journal=Journal of Natural History |date=January 2012 |volume=46 |issue=1–2 |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2011.622055|bibcode=2012JNatH..46....1D }}</ref>
Synonym: * ''Hepsetus akawo'' <small>Decru, Vreven & Snoeks, 2012</small> = ''Hepsetus odoe''<ref name=Decru2013b/><ref>[http://www.fishbase.org/Nomenclature/ScientificNameSearchList.php? FishBase: Scientific Names where Genus Equals Hepsetus]</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name=Nelson>{{Cite book| last = Nelson| first = J. S.| title = Fishes of the World| author-link = Joseph S. Nelson| location = Hoboken, NJ| date = 2006| edition = 4| publisher = John Wiley & Sons| isbn = 978-0-471-25031-9| pages=161–162}}</ref> }} {{Taxonbar|from=Q2391145}}
Category:Hepsetidae Category:Characoidei Category:Characiformes genera Category:Freshwater fish genera Category:Freshwater fish of Africa Category:Taxa named by William Swainson
{{Characiformes-stub}}