Teleostei (teleosts) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Etymology: Microthrissa: Grek, mikros = small + Greek, thrissa, -es = shad (Ref. 45335); whiteheadi: Named in honor of Dr. P.J.P. Whitehead of the British Museum (Natural History), London, whose numerous publications on clupeoid fishes have contributed substantially to our knowledge of this group (Ref. 46514).
Eponymy: Dr Peter James Palmer Whitehead (1930–1992) was a British biologist (BMNH), scholar, historian, and artist as well as a clupeoid specialist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical; 10°N - 10°S
Africa: Middle and Upper Congo River system in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 46514, 47399).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 46514)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 20 - 25; Vertebrae: 39 - 40. Diagnosis: Body moderately deep, its depth about 28-37% of standard length; scutes keeled, 1 or 2 before base of first pectoral fin ray, 13-16 pre-pelvic and 5-9 post-pelvic scutes; snout rounded; lower jaw not or slightly projecting, with small teeth limited to anterior part; pre-maxilla lacking a medial notch and with 32-40 small conical teeth directed inwards; maxilla blade slender, more than 5 times as long as deep, lower edge bordered with minute conical teeth; posterior supra-maxilla about as long as maxilla blade, its shaft as long as its blade; lower gillrakers 14-18 (Ref. 46514, 47399). Also characterized by 35-39 scales in a longitudinal series and anal fin with 20-25 rays (Ref. 46514, 47399). Closely related to Microthrissa royauxi and distinguished from this species by the shape of the pre-maxillary, the medial notch as found in M. royauxi is absent in M. whiteheadi, and the latter also has 32-40 pre-maxilla teeth vs. 16-26 in M. royauxi (Ref. 46514). It is distinguished from Microthrissa minuta by a higher number of teeth on the pre-maxilla, 32-40 vs. 12-30 in M. minuta; and additionally by a lower number of lower gillrakers, 14-18 vs. 18-22, a higher number of anal fin rays, 20-25 vs. 18-21, and a higher number of pre-pelvic scutes, 13-16 vs. 11-12 (Ref. 46514, 47399).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gourène, G. and G.G. Teugels, 1989. Révision systématique du genre Microthrissa Boulenger, 1902 des eaux douces africaines (Pisces, Clupeidae). Rev. Hydrobiol. Trop. 22(2):129-156. (Ref. 47399)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
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