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Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Alestes: Greek, alestes, -oy = miller (Ref. 45335); inferus: The name inferus, from the Latin, means below, lower, southern; it is named in reference to the occurrence of the species below a series of rapids on the lower Congo River, in a south bank tributary (Ref. 80450).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical; 5°S - 6°S, 13°E - 14°E
Africa: known only from the lower Mpozo River, near its confluence with the mainstream lower Congo River, in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 80450).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 80450)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 19 - 21; Vertebrae: 39 - 40. Diagnosis: Alestes inferus is distinguished from all congeners by the possession of fewer pored scales along the lateral line (31-33 vs 36-51) and fewer vertebrae (39-40 versus 41-49) (Ref. 80450). It is further differentiated from A. dentex, A. baremoze and A. stuhlmanni in the possession of fewer gill rakers along the lower limb of the first arch (15-17 versus 23-58) (Ref. 80450). Dorsal fin with 2 unbranched and 8 branched rays; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 16-18 branched rays; origin of dorsal fin at, or slightly in front of, vertical through pelvic-fin origin (Ref. 80450). Lateral-line scales with bifurcating external canal in region proximate to overlap with following scale, each bifurcation terminating in a small pore (Ref. 80450).
Description:
Coloration: In alcohol base body coloration yellowish brown dorsally, pale cream ventrally; a darkly pigmented, deep-lying stripe extends from dorsoposterior margin of opercle to base of caudal peduncle, not extending over caudal fin; trace of a band of dark melanophores present above anal fin (Ref. 80450). Pectoral and pelvic fins creamy white; adipose fin dusky gray with a narrow marginal band of darker pigment; dorsal fin somewhat dusky proximally with yellow-orange band mid-dorsally, dusky gray proximally; anal fin pale proximally becoming darker along distal margin; caudal fin dusky gray with yellow-orange patch posteriorly on dorsal and ventral lobes, distal margin dark gray (Ref. 80450). In life with blue-green iridescence dorsally and dorsolaterally, silvery-white laterally and ventrally; no trace of midlateral band or of melanophores above anal fin (Ref. 80450). Pectoral and pelvic fins pale yellowish hyaline; dorsal fin hyaline proximally, orange distally; adipose pale dusky gray with a narrow darker gray distal margin; anal fin pale dusky gray; caudal fin pale dusky gray, orange banding along the posterodorsal and posteroventral lobes, and with a narrow, dark gray distal margin (Ref. 80450).
Collected in shallow water and in deeper pools alongside emergent grasses at the riverbank over a substrate dominated by large rocks and rock rubble (Ref. 80450).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Stiassny, M.L.J., R.C. Schelly and V. Mamonekene, 2009. A new Alestes (Characiformes, Alestidae) from the Mpozo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Copeia 2009(1):110-116. (Ref. 80450)
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 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01148 (0.00528 - 0.02495), b=3.00 (2.82 - 3.18), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±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).
