Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 22°C - 24°C (Ref. 12468); 11°S - 21°S
Africa: Cunene, Okavango, Buzi, Pungwe (Ref. 52193), Zambezi (Ref. 3203, 52193, 95585), Save (Ref. 13337) and Cubango Rivers (Ref. 3203). Absent from the Kafue River (Ref. 7248, 52193, 95585). Also in Malagarasi River, Lake Rukwa (Ref. 27292), lakes Tanganyika and Malawi (Ref. 3203, 52193). In the Congo basin known from the Lindi-Tshopo (Ref. 106290), upper Kasai (middle Congo River basin)(Ref. 2970), Lualaba (Ref. 45434), upper Lualaba (Ref. 2970, 45434) and the Mweru-Luapula-Bangweulu area (Ref. 13337, 95585).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 11.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 31.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967); max. published weight: 1.1 kg (Ref. 52193)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28 - 37; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 23 - 27; Vertebrae: 39 - 41. Diagnosis: Dorsal fin up to 1.5 times in length of anal fin; origin of dorsal fin in advance of anal fin (Ref. 52193). Snout rounded, in front of mouth; eye well above mouth; chin with fleshy bulge (Ref. 4967). For distinguishing between specimens of Cyphomyrus discorhynchus en C. cubangoensis, the most useful anatomical characters are: longer dorsal fin length, longer anal fin length, higher number of dorsal fin rays and anal fin rays, and a higher caudal peduncle depth and caudal peduncle length ratio in C. discorhynchus than in C. cubangoensis (Ref. 119538).
Nocturnal shoaling species; favors large river channels with a soft bottom and fringing vegetation (Ref. 7248, 52193). Found mainly in sheltered bays, lagoons and swampy areas; occurs also in typical sandy or rocky rivers (Ref. 13337). Feeds on bottom-living invertebrates (Ref. 52193) and insect larvae at night (Ref. 5595). Known to migrate up tributary rivers of Lake Kariba during rainy season, though it is not yet clear whether this is a breeding migration (Ref. 13337). Breeds during summer rainy season; females carry up to 5,000 eggs (Ref. 7248).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gosse, J.-P., 1984. Mormyridae. p. 63-122. 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. 3203)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00841 - 0.02484), b=2.81 (2.66 - 2.96), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.40 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 7.0 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.16).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 150 [68, 369] mg/100g; Iron = 1.41 [0.64, 2.99] mg/100g; Protein = 17.5 [15.1, 19.8] %; Omega3 = 0.519 [0.199, 1.391] g/100g; Selenium = 66.3 [24.7, 158.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 52 [18, 156] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.89 [1.22, 3.87] mg/100g (wet weight);
