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Teleostei (teleosts) > Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) > Mastacembelidae (Spiny eels)
Etymology: Mastacembelus: Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, emballo = to throw oneself (Ref. 45335); robertsi: Named for Tyson R. Roberts who collected part of the typematerial and who first suggested that this species might well be new to science (Ref. 28147).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 6°N - 7°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: lower Congo River and Pool Malebo in Democratic Republic of the Congo, and lower Kotto and Bomu rivers (Ubangui drainage, middle Congo River basin) in Central African Republic; also reported from Bangui fish market in Central African Republic (Ref. 28147).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 33.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 84205)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 22 - 26; Dorsal soft rays (total): 66 - 92; Anal spines: 1 - 2; Anal soft rays: 63 - 92; Vertebrae: 74 - 82. Can be distinguished from other African mastacembelid species by following combination of characters: small eyes, anterior border of first dorsal spine situated before, above, or just behind posterior edge of pectoral fin; generally the color pattern is uniform (Ref. 28147).

Collected mostly from the rapids. For specimens of the Lower Congo River basin (mainstream), water temperature was recorded at a range of 24.7-29.0°C, air temperature at 23.3-30.0°C, D.O. 8.0 mg/l, and pH 7.0-7.5 (Ref. 28147).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Vreven, E.J. and G.G. Teugels, 1996. Description of a new mastacembelid species (Synbranchiformes; Mastacembelidae) from the Zaïre River basin in Africa. Copeia 1996(1):130-139. (Ref. 28147)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 16 February 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00257 (0.00122 - 0.00544), b=2.97 (2.79 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.8 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100).

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Mastacembelus robertsi (Vreven & Teugels, 1996)