Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) >
Mastacembelidae (Spiny eels)
Etymology: Mastacembelus: Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, emballo = to throw oneself (Ref. 45335). More on author: Günther.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 24°C - 30°C (Ref. 12468), preferred ?
Africa: Ouémé basin (Benin) (Ref. 57415, 81678) up to the Ntem (Cameroon) (Ref. 81678), including the Lake Chad basin (Ref. 57415). Also known from Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Poo) in Equatorial Guinea (Ref. 81678). Reported from the middle Congo River basin (Ref. 6060, 46252), but this is questionable and unconfirmed in Ref. 57415 or 81678.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 34.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57415)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 24 - 33;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 93-143;
Anal
soft rays: 90 - 140;
Vertebrae: 95 - 118. Diagnosis: 1st dorsal spine situated clearly posterior to posterior edge of pectoral fin; as a result distance from posterior edge of pectoral fin to anterior origin of first dorsal spine 8.9-81.5% HL (m=37.4) (Ref. 57415); normally 1, rather small, pre-orbital spine with a tendency to no pre-orbital spine in larger specimens; 1 (exceptionally) up to 4 (exceptionally), rather small, pre-opercular spines (median 2); post-anal length 44.1-58.3% SL (m=52.0), increasing with size, comparable to or longer than preanal length, 40.0-51.8% SL (m=46.6), decreasing with size; distance from anterior border of snout to last externally visible dorsal spine, between 44.3-57.9% SL (m=51,3), comparable to distance from anterior border of snout to last externally visible anal spine, 44.3-57.3% SL (m=51.2), both increasing with size; 6-10 caudal fin rays; 7-13 predorsal vertebrae; 33-41 abdominal vertebrae; 0-(+2) in-between vertebrae; 61-78 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 57415).
Coloration: some general intraspecific colour pattern variation and also some geographically related colour pattern variation can be noted; uniformly light brown overall background colour; dorsal-midline with or without a series of large, dark brown, squared spots or a more or less continuous dark brown band; lateral dark brown band originating at base of rostral appendage, passing through eye, above pectoral fin and continuing along lateral side of body and tail; lateral dark brown band with a well delimited and well contrasted battlement-like upper edge; lower edge less well delimited and gradually becoming lighter ventrally; lower sides with or eventually without several, round, yellowish-white spots; lips, ventral side of head, belly and abdomen uniformly yellowish-white with a few dark brown markings on ventral surface of head; dorsal, caudal and anal fins white of overall background colour; dorsal and anal fin base with a series of dark brown spots eventually partially situated on tail itself; dorsal, caudal and posterior half of anal fin with numerous, additional, small, irregularly displaced, dark brown spots; pectoral fins white of overall background colour and often with no spots or markings; some size-related colour pattern changes, notably a general darkening of median fins with increasing size of specimens; unpaired fins of small specimens with a white overall appearance whereas unpaired fins of large specimens have a dark brown overall appearance however with a white outermost margin; colour pattern of small specimens also characterized by presence of a more or less well defined dark brown band with a highly variable number of, small, yellowish-white spots on lateral sides of body and tail (Ref. 57415).
Maximum reported TL was 354mm (Ref. 57415).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Vreven, E.J., 2003. Mastacembelidae. p. 708-737 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p. (Ref. 57415)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries:
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00282 (0.00126 - 0.00629), b=2.96 (2.77 - 3.15), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100) .
