Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Hydrocynus: Greek, hydr = water + Greek, kyon = dog (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 25. Tropical; 23°C - 26°C (Ref. 2060)
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 133 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); max. published weight: 50.0 kg (Ref. 4537)
Africa: Congo River basin, Lualaba River, Lake Upemba, and Lake Tanganyika.
Inhabits lakes and large rivers (Ref. 4967).
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1991. World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21):243 p.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), b=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), based on (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.5 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (70 of 100) .