Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 3.0 - 6.0. Tropical
South America: main stem of Amazon River, lower Negro River basin in Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 56.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 39524); max. published weight: 250.00 g (Ref. 52797)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal soft rays: 195 - 312. Body and head of living specimens uniformly black or very dark purple-brown with no humeral spot or patch; juveniles undergo striking pigmentation change from uniformly black by day to very pale with two distinct vertical saddle-like markings at night; dorsal margin of head well rounded (very convex) in adults (Ref. 52797).
Inhabits blackwater rivers and their seasonally inundated floodplain lakes and forests (Ref. 52797). Feeds on invertebrates (Ref. 52797).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Crampton, W.G.R., K.G. Hulen and J.S. Albert, 2004. Redescription of Sternopygus obtusirostris (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae) from the Amazon basin, with description of osteology, ecology and electric organ discharges. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 15(2):121-134. (Ref. 52797)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5020 [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): 3.2 ±0.42 se; based on food items.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).