Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: present from Senegal to Cameroon, in Lake Chad basin and Nile River (Ref. 81638). Reported in the Senegal (Ref. 7094, 86396), Niger, Volta, Ogun, Chad (Ref. 2936, 86396), Cross (Ref. 2936, 7094, 81638, 86396) and Wouri (Ref. 2936, 7094) River basins.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2936); max. published weight: 1.5 kg (Ref. 3799)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 28; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 17. Diagnosis: mouth inferior; body depth 2.6-3.4x and head length 4.0-5.4x SL; caudal peduncle length <= its depth; eye diameter 3.5 (juveniles)-5.7x head length; 11-12 scales between lateral line and scaly process at bases of pelvic fins; juveniles with numerous small, dark, eye-sized, spots on sides (Ref. 2936, 86396). No round humeral spot, no vertical bars (Ref. 81638). 73-86 (Ref. 81638) or 75-86 (Ref. 86396) lateral line scales. 14-16 (Ref. 81638) or 15.5-16.5 (Ref. 86396) scales between dorsal fin and lateral line. 20-28 (Ref. 81638) or 22-27 (Ref. 86396) total dorsal fin rays. 13-17 (Ref. 81638) or 13-16 (Ref. 86396) total anal fin rays.
Maximum TL was recorded at 50 cm; prefers flowing water over rocky bottoms (Ref. 7094). Feeds on vegetation and periphyton (Ref. 28714).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Gosse, J.-P. and E.J. Coenen, 1990. Distichodontidae. p. 237-260. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Tome I. Coll. Faune Tropicale n° XXVIII. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren and O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris, 384 p. (Ref. 2936)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: 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=0.02188 (0.00867 - 0.05518), b=3.03 (2.81 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (39 of 100).