Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Labeoninae
Etymology: Labeo: Latin, labeo = one who has large lips (Ref. 45335); sorex: From the Latin sorex meaning shrew; named after its very small black eyes resembling those of a shrew(Ref. 12456).
More on authors: Nichols & Griscom.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 5°N - 10°S
Africa: lower and middle Congo River (Ref. 26192) and Wagenia Falls (Ref. 106245) in Democratic Republic of the Congo; mainly found in rapids (Ref. 26192).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2801)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 34 - 36. Lips with transverse plicae on inner surface; snout very prominent, ending in a big fleshy upwards turned transverse appendix; eyes extremely small, generally in dorsal position. Can be distinguished from L. nasus by its smaller eyes and higher vertebral and scale counts (Ref. 12456).
Known only from the rapids of the Congo River where it appears most adapted. Among its adaptations are the reduce diameter of the eyes; the dorso-laterally flattened shape of the head, the very large lips which are apparently adapted for suction; the latero-ventral arrangement and form of the paired fins which is largely extended and compressed ; and the blue or bluish coloration (Ref. 26192).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Tshibwabwa, S.M. and G.G. Teugels, 1995. Contribution to the systematic revision of the African cyprinid fish genus Labeo: species from the Lower Zaire river system. J. Nat. Hist. 29:1543-1579. (Ref. 12456)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00933 (0.00305 - 0.02858), b=3.01 (2.76 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100).