Mormyrus longirostris
| Mormyrus longirostris | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Osteoglossiformes |
| Family: | Mormyridae |
| Genus: | Mormyrus |
| Species: | M. bernhardi |
| Binomial name | |
| Mormyrus bernhardi W. K. H. Peters, 1852 | |
Mormyrus longirostris, the eastern bottle-nosed mormyrid, is a medium-sized fish of the elephant fish family, Mormyridae.
It is widely distributed across the plains of Africa in freshwater habitats, in the lower and middle of Zambezi, lower Sabi and Ludi rivers, Luapula-Moero-Bangwelo (Zambian Congo system). It is also found in the Ruvuma and Rufiji rivers in Tanzania, Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Rukwa and other eastward-flowing rivers in Tanzania. The fish is commonly harvested for food in the area, normally caught with a bait and hook.[2]
The species reaches a maximum length of 75 centimetres (30 in), weighing up to 10 kilograms (22 lb).The length at maturity is 34 centimetres (13 in). The dorsal fin is greater than twice the length of the anal fin, dorsal origin nearer tip of snout than caudal fin base. It was originally described by Wilhelm Peters in Monatsberichte der Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1852.[3]
The species lives in caves and muddy areas with soft bottoms, hides in weeds, and characteristically forms small shoals. It feeds on weeds and insects primarily, but also on other small invertebrates, small fish and fish eggs. Active mainly at night, it breeds during the summer rainy season, moving upstream in rivers after water has receded, with migrations at irregular intervals. Females carry 10,000–70,000 eggs. They can give a mild electric shock if handled as they hunt using electricity and will use it defensively.
The eastern bottlenose mormyrid is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 R. Bills, A. Getahun, J. Kazembe, B. Marshall & T. Moelants (2010). "Mormyrus longirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ↑ Paul H. Skelton (2001). "Eastern bottlenose / oostelike bottelneus, Mormyrus longirostris Peters, 1852". A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. pp. 95–96.
- ↑ Albert Gunther, Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum: Physostomi. p.216 Google Books
External links
- Mormyrus longirostris on Fishbase: www.fishbase.us/summary/Mormyrus-longirostris.html