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Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Petrocephalus: Latin, petra = stone + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335); wesselsi: Named for Pierre Wesselsi..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Subtropical
Africa: Incomati River system (Sabie River forms a part of it), the Blyde and Letaba rivers that both drain into the Limpopo river system (a major independent system), and in the Pongola River (Natal) (Ref. 38306, 52193).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 38306); 10.9 cm SL (female)
Inhabits fast flowing, major, perennial river, bordered by dense, subtropical or tropical vegetation (Ref. 38306).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Kramer, B. and F.H. van der Bank, 2000. The southern churchill, Petrocephalus wesselsi, a new species of mormyrid from South Africa defined by electric organ discharges, genetics, and morphology. Environ. Biol. Fishes 59(4):393-413. (Ref. 38306)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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=0.01585 (0.00697 - 0.03603), b=2.85 (2.67 - 3.03), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).