| Family: |
Alestidae (African tetras) |
| Max. size: |
7 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
pelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Africa: present in Ntem, Ogowe, Nyanga and Kouilou River basins (Ref. 80290). Also reported from the lower Congo (Ref. 94750) and as "widely distributed in the Congo River basin from Cameroon to the Republic of Congo" (Ref. 80290) but this needs confirmation. |
| Diagnosis: |
Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 23-26. Diagnosis: 10-12 gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; flanks with dark lateral pigment band continuous from opercle through caudal fin base and extending onto median caudal fin rays; dorsal and ventral caudal fin lobes with pigment stripe arranged more or less vertically across posterior third of fin (Ref. 80290).
Description: body relatively robust, body depth 35-40% of SL and head length 25-28% of SL; mouth terminal to slightly superior, lower jaw prominent, its depth about 1.5x that of upper jaw; premaxilla with 2 teeth in outer row each bearing 3-5 cusps, 4 teeth in inner row each bearing 5-7 cusps; dentary with 4 teeth in outer row each bearing 5-7 cusps, a monocuspid inner dentary tooth present posterior to outer row teeth; lateral line canal complete, 32-35 tubes, ultimate canal-bearing scale contacting caudal fin rays by 1-2 non-canal-bearing scales; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 20-23 branched rays (Ref. 80290).
Coloration: flanks silvery, with broad dark lateral pigment band more or less continuous from eye to caudal fin base, extending onto median caudal fin rays; dorsal and ventral caudal fin lobes with pigment stripe arranged more or less vertically across posterior third of fin; fins dusky, posterior third of dorsal fin and ventral margin of anal fin pigmented (Ref. 80290). |
| Biology: |
|
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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