Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Nemacheilidae (Brook loaches)
Etymology: Afronemacheilus: Derived from Africa and the genus Nemacheilus.
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 22°C - 25°C (Ref. 12468)
Africa: Lake Tana and Baro River (Ref. 31508, 58460). Specimens reported from Gojeb River, tributary of the Omo River (Ref. 31508, 58460), have been reidentified as Afronemacheilus kaffa (Ref. 94278).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94278)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 12; Vertebrae: 35 - 37. Diagnosis: Afronemacheilus abyssinicus is distinguished from its congener A. kaffa by having usually 8 or 9 branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. usually 7); the anterior and posterior nares closely spaced (vs. well separated); the intestine straight (vs. with a single small loop), no contact between sphenotic and epiotic (vs. usually in contact); two pairs of pharyngobranchials and usually three basibranchials (vs. three and four, respectively); the dark spots on flank small and irregular becoming larger and transversely extended on dorsum (Ref. 94278).
Found on the bottom of Lake Tana and in patches of macrophytes along the shore of the lake, and along the banks of the Blue Nile (Ref. 94278).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Prokofiev, A.M. and A.S. Golubtsov, 2013. Revision of the loach genus Afronemacheilus (Teleostei: Balitoridae: Nemacheilinae) with description of a new species from the Omo-Turkana basin, Ethiopia. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 24(1):1-14. (Ref. 94278)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00871 (0.00376 - 0.02016), b=3.01 (2.81 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.8 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
