Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Alestes: Greek, alestes, -oy = miller (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Professor Dr Franz Ludwig Stuhlmann (1863–1928) was a German zoologist and explorer who collected in East Africa (1888–1900). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: coastal rivers of Tanzania (Kingani, Wami, Ruvu, Rufiji, Kilombero) (Ref. 42019).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 21.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 22 - 27; Vertebrae: 42 - 44. Alestes stuhlmannii is fusiform with a terminal mouth and a snout that becomes more blunt in larger individuals (Ref. 79648). The dorsal fin is in the middle of the back, and the adipose fin is closer to the caudal than to the dorsal fin (Ref. 79648). The anal fin base is much longer than the dorsal fin base (Ref. 79648). The body is covered with large cycloid scales which extend onto the bases of the anal and caudal fins; there are no scales on the head and none on the supraoccipital crest (Ref. 79648). In preserved specimens, the flanks are usually darker dorsally than ventrally; a thin, dark line runs along the flank from the posterior edge of the opercle to the base of the caudal fin rays; it does not follow the lateral line and is not confined to a single scale row (Ref. 79648).
Inhabits lakes and rivers (Ref. 4967).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Paugy, D., 1984. Characidae. p. 140-183. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 1. (Ref. 5331)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00484 - 0.02371), b=3.02 (2.84 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (16 of 100).
