Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Amphiliidae (Loach catfishes) > Leptoglaninae
Etymology: Zaireichthys: Composed form Zaire river + Greek,ichtys = fish; the habitat of this fish (Ref. 45335); conspicuus: The specific name 'conspicuus' refers to the conspicuous bold markings of this species (Ref. 86935).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: upper Zambezi River from the rapid sections at Katima Mulilo down to just above the Victoria Falls (Ref. 86935).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86935)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11; Vertebrae: 34 - 35. Diagnosis: This species differs from Zaireichthys kafuensis, Z. kavangoensis, Z. monomotapa and Z. pallidus in having a premaxillary tooth patch with the buccal margin expanded laterally and from all other species in its more robust form and bold markings (Ref. 86935).
Found in the rapid sections of rivers; seems to inhabit rocky rapids rather than sandy bottoms (Ref. 86935, 94654). It feeds on insects (Ref. 86935).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Eccles, D.H., D. Tweddle and P.H. Skelton, 2011. Eight new species in the dwarf catfish genus Zaireichthys (Siluriformes: Amphiliidae). Smithiana Bull. (13):3-28. (Ref. 86935)
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=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).