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Beloniformes (Needle fishes) >
Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Etymology: Potamorrhaphis: Greek, potamos = river + Greek, rhaphis = needle (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / profondeur / distribution range
Écologie
; eau douce pélagique; profondeur 0 - ? m. Tropical; 23°C - 26°C (Ref. 2059)
South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins, and the Guianas.
Taille / Poids / Âge
Maturité: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 29.1 cm TL mâle / non sexé; (Ref. 40653); common length : 12.3 cm OT mâle / non sexé; (Ref. 10994)
Description synthétique
Clés d'identification | Morphologie | Morphométrie
Épines dorsales (Total) : 0; Rayons mous dorsaux (Total) : 29 - 36; Épines anales: 0; Rayons mous anaux: 25 - 32; Vertèbres: 68 - 78. Predorsal scales 85-135, mean 110.3 (Ref. 10994, Table 7).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Forms schools at the surface. Prefers to inhabit marshes, small slow-moving creeks or even in main river beds, in the slowest parts of meandering streams next to banks (Ref. 35237). Voracious carnivore which appears to have a primarily nocturnal habit (Ref. 27188). During reproduction, the male positions itself beside the female or crosswise in front of her. Sometimes the male touches the female with his side, pushing her aside in an oblique position, with their heads oriented downwards. The couple settles next to a bush where the female spawns her eggs (15 to 40). Eggs adhere to plants by means of sticky filaments which are 2 to 3 mm long. At 27-30°C, incubation lasts for 9 to 10 days. Larvae are pelagic and carnivorous (Ref. 35237). Maximum length 40 cm TL in Keith et al., 2000 (Ref. 35237).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturité | Reproduction | Frai | Œufs | Fécondité | Larves
The eggs are attached to underwater vegetation. At 27-30 deg. Celsius the larvae hatch after 9 - 10 days. The larvae are pelagic carnivores.
Collette, B.B., 1982. South American freshwater needlefishes of the genus Potamorrhaphis (Beloniformes: Belonidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 95(4):714-747. (Ref. 10994)
Statut dans la liste rouge de l'IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Menace pour l'homme
Harmless
Utilisations par l'homme
Outils
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Sources Internet
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Réf.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00126 (0.00057 - 0.00279), b=3.11 (2.93 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Niveau trophique (Réf.
69278): 3.9 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Résilience (Réf.
120179): Haut, temps minimum de doublement de population inférieur à 15 mois (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (19 of 100).
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