Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Brevimyrus: Latin, brevis = short, brief + Greek, myros = the male of morey eel (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 5.0 - ?. Tropical; 22°C - 24°C (Ref. 12468)
Africa: majority of the large Sahelo-Sudanese basins, Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Volta, Ouémé, Chad (Ref. 81274); also known from White Nile (Ref. 3203).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 11.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57961)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 20; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 24 - 30. LS/D 2.9-4.3;LS/PD 10.8-15.5. Pectoral fin longer or at least as long as head. Globular swelling on chin reduced. Base of dorsal fin 0.51-0.78 x of the anal fin base. Generally uniformly silver color but may sometimes be irregularly mottled on the sides.
Distribution area is mainly continental and it is rarely found in the lower courses of basins (Ref. 81274). Inhabits fringing vegetation in the Sudd and migrates onto the floodplain to spawn (Ref. 28714). Bottom feeding insectivore (Ref. 28714). It possesses electro receptors over the entire head, the dorsal and ventral regions of the body, but absent from the side and the caudal peduncle where the electric organ is located (Ref. 10011). Also sensitive to sound frequencies (Ref. 10831).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bigorne, R., 1990. Mormyridae. p. 122-184. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux saumâtres d'Afrique de l'Ouest. tome 1. Faune Trop. 28. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, and ORSTOM, Paris. (Ref. 2915)
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 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00647 - 0.01946), b=2.85 (2.70 - 3.00), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming Fec < 5,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
