Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Characidae (Characins; tetras) > Stethaprioninae
Etymology: Astyanax: The name of Astyanax, Hector´s son in the Greek mythology (Ref. 45335); cocibolca: Named for Lake Cocibolca, the indigenous name for Lake Nicaragua; noun in apposition.
Eponymy: Astyanax was the son of Hector in Greek mythology. See Homer’s Iliad for details. The reasoning for its use for a genus of characins is not explained. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range ? - 2 m (Ref. 83537). Tropical
Central America: endemic to Lake Nicaragua.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 83537)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
The semipelagial Astyanax cocibolca can be readily separated from the A. aeneus that inhabits some of the same habitats in Lake Nicaragua by its slender body 29.1-36.4% SL (vs. 33.9-39.3% SL); with slightly upturned mouth; high total gill raker count 23-34, mean 28.9 (vs. 22-26, mean 24.1); reduced size of dentary teeth; fewer scale rows above lateral line 6-8, mean 7.2 (vs. 8-9, mean 8.3); more intense black midlateral band; smaller size, maximum 54.3 (vs. greater than 80 mm SL); conical teeth in outer row of premaxillary bone (vs. only tricuspid outer row teeth) (Ref. 83537).
This filter-feeding specialist utilizes the open-water habitat, at least as a nursery where young can feed on the rich plankton population. Two small adults from the open water habitat contained 90% copepoda and cladocera while inshore specimens contained 90% fruit, 5% cladocera, 5% seed, algae. The adult female from open water contained ripe eggs, although
10 adult females from inshore sites contained only undeveloped eggs (Ref. 83537).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bussing, W.A., 2008. Astyanax cocibolca, a new characid (Pisces: Ostariophysi) from Lake Nicaragua, Central America. Revista de Biologia Tropical 56 (3):1361-1370. (Ref. 83537)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
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=0.01096 (0.00493 - 0.02437), b=3.10 (2.93 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.9 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
