Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Brycinus: Greek, ebrykon, brykomai = to bite, to gnaw (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: Sanaga River in Cameroon to the Chiloango River in Angola (Ref. 28013, 80290). Also widely distributed in the Congo River basin (Ref. 11970, 28013, 42019, 80290).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 28013)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16. Diagnosis: fronto-parietal fontanel absent in adults, sometimes pore-like in juveniles; snout short, more than 3x head lenght; dorsal fin origin at same level as, or just behind, pelvic fin insertion; sexual dimorphism affecting anal fin shape; head length/snout length 3.1-3.7; 24-30 lateral line scales; 4.5 scales between lateral line and dorsal fin; 9.5-11 predorsal scales; 11-13 anal fin branched rays; 16-21 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch; 8 teeth in outer premaxillary row; adults medium-sized; humeral spot always present; broad black band on flanks; most apparent part of this band not reaching or extending beyond vertical through posterior base of dorsal fin (Ref. 80290).
Affinities: close to B. taeniurus and B. opisthotaenia; body with clearly wider band than the former; dark band starts less forward than in B. opisthotaenia, originating slightly posterior to vertical through dorsal fin origin in B. kingsleyae, but originating at a vertical through dorsal fin origin in B. opisthotaenia (Ref. 80290).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Paugy, D. and S.A. Schaefer, 2007. Alestidae. p. 347-411. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale/The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, west-central Africa. Vol. 1. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Istitut de recherche pour le développement, Paris, France, Muséum nationale d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royale de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique. 800 p. (Ref. 80290)
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=0.01230 (0.00541 - 0.02797), b=2.99 (2.81 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±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).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 215 [79, 551] mg/100g; Iron = 2.59 [1.23, 5.91] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [16.7, 21.0] %; Omega3 = 0.551 [0.202, 1.568] g/100g; Selenium = 45.6 [18.3, 132.4] μg/100g; VitaminA = 41.9 [14.7, 113.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.68 [1.79, 3.98] mg/100g (wet weight);
