Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic, usually 1 - 3 m (Ref. 35835). Tropical
Africa: Lake Tana, Ethiopia (Ref. 35835, 128753). Also Didessa River in Ethiopia, but occurrences outside Lake Tana would suggest dispersion (Ref. 35835).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 43.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35835)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8. Head width less than 1.8 times in head length; head length more than 1.3 times in body depth; body depth less than 3.6 times in standard length; eye diameter more than 1.3 times in interorbital width; dark green; often with an extended, soft abdomen.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Occurs over muddy, sandy and rocky substrates all over the lake, preferably in water of no more than 3 m depth. Is a real macrophytivore: specimens smaller than 15 cm feed mainly on zooplankton and insect larvae; macrophytes increase in importance with size and finally make up most of the diet (Ref. 35835).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Nagelkerke, L.A.J. and F.A. Sibbing, 1997. A revision of the large barbs (Barbus spp., Cyprinidae, Teleostei) of Lake Tana, Ethiopia, with a description of seven new species. p. 105-170. In L.A.J. Nagelkerke (ed.) The barbs of Lake Tana, Ethiopia: morphological diversity and its implications for taxonomy, trophic resource partititioning and fisheries. Wageningen University, The Netherlands. (Ref. 35835)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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