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Teleostei (teleosts) > Siluriformes (Catfishes) > Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Roberts.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical

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Africa: only found in the rivers Ofin (Prah drainage) and Tano in Ghana (Ref. 34006, 44050, 57130, 78218).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 26.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 34006); 20.4 cm SL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11; Vertebrae: 37 - 43. Diagnosis: tooth patches broad; pectoral fin placed ventrally; 9-11 anal-fin rays; 19 caudal-fin rays (ii-7-8-ii; rarely i-7-8-ii, total 18); 3-4 gill-rakers on upper part of first arch; dorsum and flank marked by large blotches (up to 5-6 times an eye diameter); caudal saddle and bar pattern well-developed; 20-22 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 44050). 41-43 (Ref. 34006) or 37-39 (Ref. 44050) total vertebrae. Differs from M. minjiriya in having fewer vertebrae and a much narrower head and mouth, and smaller oral tooth bands; differs from M. cavalliensis in having more vertebrae and much smaller tooth bands (Ref. 34006).

Female reaches up to 20.4 SL; nothing reported on the biology or natural history of this species (Ref. 44050).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Roberts, T.R., 2000. A review of the African electric catfish family Malapteruridae, with descriptions of new species. Occas. Pap. Ichthyol. 1:1-15. (Ref. 34006)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 30 November 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.4 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (22 of 100).

Malapterurus tanoensis Roberts, 2000