Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); stiassnyae: Named to honor the collector of the holotype, Melanie L. J. Stiassny (American Museum of Natural History, New York), who has raised an eloquent voice in conservation matters (Ref. 44050).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: broadly distributed in Upper Guinean basins east of the Fouta Dialon uplands, from the Bofon River (Guinea) to the St. Paul River (Liberia); also verified from the Cavally basin (Ref. 44050, 57130).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57130)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 11; Vertebrae: 38 - 42. Diagnosis: body elongate and cylindrical; tooth patches narrow; vertically based pectoral fins positioned at the body mid-depth; 8-11 anal-fin rays; usually more than 17 gill rakers on first arch; 2 ventral unbranched and 7-8 branched caudal-fin rays; 8-11 pectoral-fin rays; caudal saddle and bar pattern well developed in juveniles and young; caudal fin darkly pigmented in adults; caudal saddle and bar merged dorsally in specimens in which they are still visible (Ref. 44050).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Norris, S.M., 2002. A revision of the African electric catfishes, family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 289:1-155. (Ref. 44050)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (27 of 100).