Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Petrocephalus: Latin, petra = stone + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335); leo: This species is named after the author's son Léo (Ref. 113655).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: lower Kotto River (Ubangui River tributary, middle Congo River basin) in Central African Republic (Ref. 113655).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 113655)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21 - 24; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 26 - 28. Diagnosis: Petrocephalus leo is distinguished from all other Petrocephalus species of central Africa by the following combination of characteristics: absence of electroreceptive rosettes on head, body colouration brownish with distinct black mark at the base of pectoral fin, but no subdorsal ovoid black mark; 21 to 24 branched dorsal-fin rays and 26 to 29 branched anal-fin rays (Ref. 113655). Absence of the three typical Petrocephalus electroreceptive rosettes on the head distinguish Petrocephalus leo from most of its congeners, except P. microphthalmus, P. haullevillii, P. schoutedeni and P. zakoni; but it can be easily distinguished from these species by its unique pattern of melanin markings: a distinct black spot at the origin of the pectoral fins but no subdorsal pigmentation mark (Ref. 113655). Petrocephalus leo can be further distinguished from P. zakoni by its slender body, body depth 2.9-3.4 times in standard length vs. 2.5-2.7 times in P. zakoni; its relatively shorter dorsal fin, dorsal fin length 4.4-5.0 times in standard length vs. 4.0-4.3 times; and its smaller eye, eye diameter 3.7-4.4 times in head length vs. 3.1-3.3 times (Ref. 113655). It can be further distinguished from P. microphthalmus, P. haullevillii and P. schoutedeni, by a higher dorsal-fin ray count, 21-24 vs. less than 20 in the other species (Ref. 113655).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Lavoué, S., 2016. Petrocephalus leo, a new species of African electric fish (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) from the Oubangui River basin (Congo basin). Zootaxa 4121(3):319-330. (Ref. 113655)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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=0.01585 (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).
