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); tanganyikaensis: Named to honor the Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll (1908-1991), in recognition of his lifetime of work on African fishes and especially the ichthyofauna of Lake Tanganyika (Ref. 44050).
More on author: Roberts.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: widely distributed in Lake Tanganyika (Ref. 34006, 44050) and present in the Malagarasi River basin (Ref. 78218, 98577).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 49.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44050)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 12; Vertebrae: 38 - 45. Diagnosis: tooth patches broad; 9-12 anal-fin rays; 38-41 vertebrae; 19-20 caudal-fin rays (ii-7-8-ii-iii); stout, cylindrical head; broad, square snout; body finely spotted (Ref. 44050).
Limnetic electric catfish (Ref. 44050). Voracious piscivore (Ref. 36901, 44050, 78218) feeding on cichlids (Ref. 36901, 44050). Encountered in the littoral zone down to a depth of 50 m; especially common in bays or near the mouths of rivers (Ref. 36901).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Roberts, T.R., 2000. A review of the African electric catfish family Malapteruridae, with descriptions of new species. Occas. Pap. Ichthyol. 1:1-15. (Ref. 34006)
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): 3.5 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100).