Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); oguensis: The specific epithet is geographic referring to the Ogowe (Ogôoué) River where the types originated (Ref. 44050).
More on author: Sauvage.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Ogôoué basin, Nyanga River and Kouilou-Niari system (Cameroon to Republic of Congo) (Ref. 44050, 81645).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 21.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44050); 20.0 cm SL (female)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 38 - 40. Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; vertically based pectoral fin positioned near body mid-depth; 6-7 branched caudal-fin rays; 8 (rarely 7 or 9) pectoral-fin rays; 3 ventral unbranched caudal-fin rays (Ref. 44050). Dorsum, flank and head unspotted; caudal saddle and bar pattern intensely expressed with wide, dark and well defined saddle that extends onto the anal fin, with no interruption between saddle and anal-fin pigment fields (Ref. 44050, 81645)(in all other species with a caudal saddle there is a clear break in pigment between the saddle and the anal fin pigmentation)(Ref. 44050). Venter unpigmented; 38-40 vertebrae (Ref. 44050, 81645). 4-14 gill-rakers (Ref. 44050).
An upland species, generally not found in lowland habitats, where it appears to be replaced by M. beninensis (Ref. 81645).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Norris, S.M., 2002. A revision of the African electric catfishes, family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 289:1-155. (Ref. 44050)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (16 of 100).