Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Citharinidae (Lutefishes)
Etymology: Citharinops: Latin, cithara = lire like instrument + Greek, ops = appearance (Ref. 45335). More on author: Pellegrin.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical
Africa: Chad, Bénué, Niger and Volta basins (Ref. 81281). Previously, 2 subspecies were recognized: Citharinops distichodoides distichodoides in Chad and Bénué basins (Ref. 2938, 81281), and Citharinops distichodoides thomasi in Niger and Volta basins (Ref. 2938, 7095, 81281).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 54 - ? cm
Max length : 84.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2938); max. published weight: 4.6 kg (Ref. 3799)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 16-19;
Anal
soft rays: 20 - 23. Diagnosis: more elongate than Cithardium and Citharinus species; body depth 2.2-2.7x and head length 3-3.7x SL; caudal peduncle 0.7-1.1x long than deep; head 1.6-2.0x long than wide; short snout, 1.0-1.7x of eye diameter; pectoral fins almost half of head length; adipose fin 0.3-0.7x its distance to dorsal fin; caudal fin with symmetrical lobes (tips becoming round in adults); cycloid scales; scale formula 7.5-9.5/50-56/10.5-12.5; 7.5-9.5 scales between lateral line and dorsal fin origin; 16-19 dorsal fin branched rays; 20-23 anal fin branched rays (Ref. 2938, 81281).
Monospecific, distinguished from other genus of family by the body form which is more elongated than 2 other genus: Citharidium and Citharinus (Ref. 2938).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gosse, J.-P., 1990. Citharinidae. p. 261-268. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Tome I. Coll. Faune Tropicale n° XXVIII. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren and O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris, 384 p. (Ref. 2938)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 123251)
CITES (Ref. 118484)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 1.0039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01585 (0.00614 - 0.04089), b=2.96 (2.73 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (53 of 100) .