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Caecobarbus geertsii Boulenger, 1921

Congo blind barb
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Image of Caecobarbus geertsii (Congo blind barb)
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drawing shows typical species in Cyprinidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Smiliogastrinae
Etymology: Caecobarbus: Latin, caecus = blind + Latin, barbus = barbel (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.

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

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 0°S - 5°S

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

Africa: known only from some caves near Mbanza-Ngungu (lower Congo River basin), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 86866).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86866)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Blind fish which lives in caves (Ref. 86866), about (700)750-850 m above sea-level (Ref. 2801, 86866). Feeds on small crustaceans living in the caves and also on animals washed into the caves (Ref. 557), although this needs confirmation (Ref. 86866). Estimated longevity 9-14 years, but may exceed 15 years (Ref. 86866). Not closely related to any extant epigean species of the Congo region. Classified as `textbook and popular press fish' in Ref. 4537.

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

Expels eggs in a more or less haphazard fashion, the substrate on which the species spawns must have crevices and pores into which the adhesive eggs can roll and be hidden so to prevent predation by its parents or other cave inhabitants.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Vreven, E., A. Kimbembi ma Ibaka and S. Wamuini Lunkayilakio, 2011. The Congo blind barb: Mbanza-Ngungu’s albino cave fish. p.74-75. In W.R.T. Darwall, K.G. Smith, D.J. Allen, R.A. Holland, I.J. Harrison and E.G.E. Brooks (eds.). The diversity of life in African freshwaters: under water, under threat. An analysis of the status and distribution of freshwater species throughout mainland Africa. IUCN, Cambridge, United Kingdom and Gland, Switzerland, 348p. (Ref. 86866)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Vulnerable (VU) (B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)); Date assessed: 16 February 2009

CITES

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |
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World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 1.0000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.5   ±0.45 se; based on food items.
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).