Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 20. Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 1672)
Africa: widespread in the Congo River basin, from the lower Congo (Ref. 1879, 42510) up to the upper Lualaba (Ref. 2970), but absent from Luapula-Moero (Ref. 2970). Also in the Lake Tanganyika basin (Ref. 4967, 36901).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 76.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24 - 25; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14 - 15. Body depth 2.25-2.50 times in total length; snout very short and obtuse; mouth inferior; 12-14 teeth in the outer row of the upper and lower jaw; in life, reddish body colour (Ref. 122092).
Swim in shoals at the lower water layers of rivers and inshore areas of lake. Feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter (Ref. 7020).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Daget, J. and J.-P. Gosse, 1984. Distichodontidae. p. 184-211. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 1. (Ref. 7094)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01549 (0.00634 - 0.03785), b=3.02 (2.83 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.8 ±0.26 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (57 of 100).