Brachyalestes minutus, Dwarf Lake Turkana robber

Brachyalestes minutus (Hopson & Hopson, 1982)

Dwarf Lake Turkana robber
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Characiformes (Characins) > Alestidae (African tetras)

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: endemic to Lake Turkana (Ref. 53378, 52331).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 53378)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

It has a shorter snout compared to Alestes nurse, a slightly larger eye and narrower interorbital space (Ref. 53378). The mouth of this species is noticeably superior and subterminal, with a predominance of unicuspid outer maxillary teeth (Ref. 53378).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A pelagic species, usually occurring with A. ferox, widespread throughout the open waters of Lake Turkana; situated in midwater scattering layer during daylight hours; disperses through surface waters after dark; feeds chiefly on zooplankton with occasional small insects; spawns within the lake; matures at exceptionally small size for an Alestes (Ref. 53378).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Hopson, A.J. and J. Hopson, 1982. The fishes of Lake Turkana with a description of three new species: Alestes ferox sp. nov., Alestes minutus sp. nov. (Pisces: Characidae) and Barbus turkanae sp. nov. (Pisces: Cyprinidae). p. 283-347. In A.J. Hopson (ed.) Lake Turkana. A report on the findings of the Lake Turkana project 1972-1975. Overseas Development Administration, London. 1873 p. (Ref. 53378)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Vulnerable (VU) (B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)); Date assessed: 05 July 2022

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |