Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Micralestes: Greek, mikros = small + Greek,lestes = thief (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 16; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 12468)
Africa: found in most Sahelo-Sudanese basins of West Africa (Senegal, Volta, Niger, Chad), in the Cross River basin (Ref. 80290), in Kenya (Ref. 52871), in Sudan and South Sudan (Ref. 28714) and in Ethiopia (Ref. 58460).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2880)
Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 22. Diagnosis: lateral line complete, 23-29 (Ref. 81279) or 26-29 (Ref. 80290) lateral line scales. Anal fin with 3 unbranched and 15-19 (Ref. 81279) or 16-19 (Ref. 80290) branched rays. 11-14 gill rakers on lower part of first branchial arch; 6/8 premaxillary teeth (Ref. 2880, 81279). Inner dentary teeth conical, monocuspid; scales of flank without melanophores concentrated along basal margin, pigment diffuse or absent (Ref. 80290). Fins colorless, at most, pinkish; caudal fin tinged with pink (Ref. 2880, 81279). Tip of dorsal fin usually blackish (Ref. 2880, 80290, 81279). Widely distributed, never found in Cavally River (Ref. 2880, 81279).
Inhabits fringing vegetation of rivers and lakes, feeding on zooplankton, beetles and other insects (Ref. 28714). Often reported in West Africa under name of M. acutidens.
Affinities: most similar to M. acutidens, from which it differs in the presence of conical, monocuspid (vs multicuspid) inner dentary teeth, inner premaxillary and outer dentary with fewer cusps, and a slightly more slender body (Ref. 80290).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Paugy, D. and S.A. Schaefer, 2007. Alestidae. p. 347-411. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale/The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, west-central Africa. Vol. 1. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Istitut de recherche pour le développement, Paris, France, Muséum nationale d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royale de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique. 800 p. (Ref. 80290)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
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=0.00891 (0.00453 - 0.01754), b=2.92 (2.75 - 3.09), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.42 se; based on food items.
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).
