Xenomystus nigri (Günther, 1868)

African knifefish

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Osteoglossiformes \| Notopteridae
Synonyms	Notopterus nigri, Notopterus nili, ... more
Common names	African knife-fish, Poisson couteau, Felefele, ... more

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Image of Xenomystus nigri (African knifefish)

Picture by Germeau, G./ Doumont, Y.

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Main reference

Roberts, T.R. 1992. (Ref. 7431)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 30.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 31256)

Environment

Demersal; freshwater; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19

Climate / Range

Tropical; 22°C - 28°C (Ref. 1672)

Africa: widely distributed in tropical Africa, in the Nile, Chad, Niger, Ogowe and Congo basins (Ref. 7431). Also distributed in coastal rivers in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Benin and Cameroon, but not found in Côte d'Ivoire nor Ghana (Ref. 7431).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 108 - 130. Body height 5-5.4 x SL, head length 6.9-7.5 x SL, snout smaller than eye, eye diameter 3.8-4.5 x head length, maxilla extends to vertical of eye center or just under the eye's posterior border, ventral spines 25-32

Prefers quiet waters with vegetation. Females lay 150-200 eggs of 2 mm diameter (Ref. 1672). Can produce barking sounds. Comes to the surface from time to time to swallow air. Feeds at dusk and during the night on worms, crustaceans, insects and snails (Ref. 7020).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Harmless

Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
Biogeographic modelling \| Bio-Quiz \| E-book \| Field guide \| Identification keys \| Length-frequency wizard \| Life-history tool \| Point map

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Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Cruz, Tess

Modified by Ortañez, Auda Kareen

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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