Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical; 11°S - 20°S
Africa: Cunene, Okavango, Upper Zambezi and Kafue systems. A similar, possibly identical, species (Rhadalestes rhodesiensis) occurs in the Zambian Congo system (Lakes Bangweulu and Mweru, and Luapula River).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13337)
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Anal spines: 2 - 3; Anal soft rays: 16 - 19. Can be easily confused with Micralestes acutidens but has a more slender body with no black tip to the dorsal fin. Does not possess a pair of conical teeth behind row of teeth in lower jaw as in M. acutidens.
Shoals in shallow, vegetated marginal and floodplain habitats. Appears to prefer a swampy environment to open water (Ref. 13337). Feeds on small aquatic insects and other invertebrates. A partial spawner, breeding during high-water periods (Ref. 7248). Known to migrate up rivers and on to floodplains during flood season (Ref. 13337).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Paugy, D., 1984. Characidae. p. 140-183. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 1. (Ref. 5331)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Can't connect to MySQL database fbquizv2. Errorcode: Too many connections
