| Family: |
Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes) |
| Max. size: |
49.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Africa: widely distributed in Lake Tanganyika (Ref. 34006, 44050) and present in the Malagarasi River basin (Ref. 78218, 98577). |
| Diagnosis: |
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).
Description: moderately depressed; fairly heavy-bodied and stout-headed; snout broad and blunt; 15-17 abdominal vertebrae; 23-25 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 44050).
Coloration: bicolored, often distinctly so; dorsum and flank light brown; venter and underside of head unpigmented; flank and dorsum well-marked with spots, some as large as 2-3 eye diameters; pectoral and pelvic fins in adults pigmented lightly in same color as flank, but generally clear in juveniles; anal fin with clear distal margin in all ages, lightly pigmented in juveniles, matching ground pigmentation of flank in adults; caudal saddle and bar pattern very faintly developed in specimens up to 60mm SL, with saddle and bar regions only slightly darker than ground color, and saddle, extending to body mid-depth, sometimes merging with caudal bar dorsally; adipose fin in juveniles matches caudal saddle, except for a pale distal border; adipose fin pigmentation in adults matches dorsum; caudal fin of juveniles bears pigmented bar bracketed by pale basal crescent and clear distal margin; caudal fin in adults generally matches body ground color, with scattered small spots and faintly developed pale basal crescent and a clear distal margin; melanistic specimen known, with unusually dark pigmentation on body and fins (Ref. 44050). Coloration similar to M. microstoma and M. monsembeensis with small dark marks rather uniformly distributed over entire body and caudal fin; with no distinct dark or pale bars or bands. Differs from M. microstoma in having a broader mouth, fewer vertebrae (vs. 44-46), and fewer ceratobranchial gill rakers (vs. 20-24). Differs from M. monsembeensis in having fewer vertebrae (vs. 47-48) (Ref. 34006). |
| Biology: |
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). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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