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Characiformes (Characins) >
Hepsetidae (African pikes)
Etymology: Hepsetus: Greek, epsetas, -e, -on = boiled, but there is the following sentence: "oí epsetoi" = certain fishes, and also could be related to "psetta" = grouper (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: coastal basins from the Sanaga in Cameroon to the Chiloango in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 93279). Also in the Dja River in Cameroon (Ref. 93279) and the middle Congo River basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 108775).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 28.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93279)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Diagnosis: Hepsetus lineatus can be distinguished from H. kingsleyae by a larger number of lateral line scales, 50–64 vs. 45–51, and lower number of gill rakers, 12–18, exceptionally 20 in one specimen, vs. 17–23; and by a larger head width, 32.8–46.7 vs. 26.4–35.6% of head length, and larger internasal distance, 21.5–29.3 vs. 15.6–23.3% of head length; the latter two characters are positively allometric (Ref. 93279). Hepsetus lineatus can only be distinguished from H. akawo by a larger number of lateral line scales, 50–64 vs. 43–51, and a smaller number of gill rakers, 12–18, exceptionally up to 20, vs. 17–23 (Ref. 93279). Hepsetus lineatus can be distinguished from H. odoe by a combination of a large internasal distance, 21.5–29.3 vs. 19.5–25.3% of head length, and a small distance between nostril and lower jaw, 36.8–44.4 vs. 40.4–47.6% of head length; both latter characters are positively allometric (Ref. 93279). Hepsetus lineatus can be distinguished from H. cuvieri by a higher number of gill rakers, 12–20 vs. 8–13, a lower number of scales between the dorsal fin and lateral line, 7.5–9.5 vs. 10.5–11.5, a lower number of scales between the adipose fin and lateral line, 4–5.5 vs. 6.5–7.5, and also by a greater head width, 32.8–46.7 vs. 27.8–40.4% of head length, and smaller internasal distance, 21.5–29.3 vs. 27.8–40.4% of head length; latter two characters positively allometric (Ref. 93279).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Decru, E., E. Vreven and J. Snoeks, 2013. A revision of the Lower Guinean Hepsetus species (Characiformes; Hepsetidae) with the description of Hepsetus kingsleyae sp. nov. J. Fish Biol. 82(4):1351-1375. (Ref. 93279)
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 = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00562 (0.00189 - 0.01676), b=3.16 (2.92 - 3.41), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (25 of 100).
