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Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Acheilognathidae (Bitterlings)
Etymology: Acheilognathus: Greek, a = without + Greek, cheilos = lip + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Jordan & Thompson.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 40 m (Ref. 78070). Temperate; 10°C - 25°C (Ref. 13614)
Asia: Japan. Five subspecies were recognized: Acheilognathus tabira erythropterus Pacific Ocean side of eastern Honshu (Miyagi, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Chiba Prefectures and Tokyo Metropolis); Acheilognathus tabira jordani in Japan Sea side of western Honshu (Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Tottori and Shimane Prefectures); Acheilognathus tabira nakamurae in Kyushu area; Acheilognathus tabira tabira in Western Honshu; and Acheilognathus tabira tohokuensis in Japan Sea side of eastern Honshu (Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima in western area and Niigata Prefectures).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 78070)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 14; Anal soft rays: 11 - 13; Vertebrae: 35 - 38. Can be diagnosed by having the following characters: dorsal fin with iii, 9-11 rays; anal fin with iii, 9-10 rays; dorsal fin in males grayish; anal fin in nuptial males white; absence of black blotch on dorsal fin in juveniles; eggs short ellipsoid, ratio of major axis to minor axis, 1.4-1.7 (Ref. 78070).
Inhabits rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds in plains. Also occurs in mouths of rivers draining into lagoons, in rocky shores of rivers and irrigation creeks, and in floodplain pools. Deposits its eggs into host mussels (Ref. 78070).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Female has an ovipositor which is used to deposit eggs inside bivalves. Young remain in the bivalve until they can swim (Ref. 43281).
Doi, A., R. Arai and H.-Z. Liu, 1999. Acheilognathus macromandibularis, a new bitterling (Cyprinidae) from the lower Changjiang basin, China. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 10(4):303-308. (Ref. 39330)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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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=0.01096 (0.00505 - 0.02383), b=3.10 (2.93 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.2 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming Fec < 10,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).