Sirenidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)

Sirens Elongate small to large (750 mm) aquatic salamanders with external gills. The pelvic girdle and hind limbs are absent in all species but small forelimbs are present. They are distributed in the southern United States and northern Mexico and usually are considered to be the sister group to all other living salamanders. Two genera belong to this family, Siren, and Pseudobranchus. Members of this family are paedamorphic, retaining larval features as adults such as gills, a lateral line system, and suction feeding (although they also possess moving jaws). Some morphological characters for this group include: 1) non-pedicellate teeth; 2) maxillae reduced to tiny-free elements; 3) no pelvic girdle; 4) no premaxillary or maxillary teeth.

Siren intermedia intermedia Photo by John White (Click for details)

Genus Pseudobranchus (2 species)

Pseudobranchus axanthus	species account	photos	range maps	no sounds
Pseudobranchus striatus	species account	photos	range maps	no sounds

Genus Siren (2 species)

Siren intermedia	species account	photos	range maps	no sounds
Siren lacertina	species account	photos	range maps	no sounds

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