Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Anostomidae (Headstanders)
Etymology: Megaleporinus: Name from Greek 'mega' meaning large or largest, plus Leporinus, the genus which most species (now in this genus) were previously assigned; refrring to the large size of most congeners.
More on author: Valenciennes.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Subtropical
South America: Paraná, La Plata and São Francisco, Uruguay, Paraguay, Guaíba and Parnaíba River basins
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 21.6 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 76.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 79585); max. published weight: 5.8 kg (Ref. 79585)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11; Vertebrae: 39. Can be diagnosed from most congeners, except Leporinus amblyrhynchus, L. conirostris, L. desmotes, L. despaxi, L. elongatus, L. jatuncochi, L. macrocephalus, L. muyscorum, L. piavussu, L. reinhardti, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei, by possessing three teeth on each premaxilla and dentary (tooth formula 3/3; vs. tooth formulae 3/4, 4/4 or 4/3). Differs from Leporinus amblyrhynchus, L. conirostris, L. desmotes, L. despaxi, L. jatuncochi, L. macrocephalus, L. muyscorum, L. reinhardti, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei by having three dark rounded blotches on the body and dark transverse bars usually persistent in large specimens (vs. body with a dark midlateral stripe in L. amblyrhynchus, and L. despaxi; transverse dark bands in L. desmotes and L. jatuncochii; body pale except for a single dark blotch on the caudal peduncle in L. conirostris; first blotch, below the dorsal fin, transversely elongated in L. macrocephalus, L. trifasciatus and L. wolfei; transverse bars faded in large specimens of L. muyscorum; and the blotch on the caudal peduncle longitudinally elongated, not rounded, sometimes making contact with the second blotch in L. reinhardti). Can be further distinguished from Leporinus muyscorum by having six or seven scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin (vs. five); from Leporinus elongatus by having 16 scales rows around the caudal peduncle (vs. 12). Differs from a similar species Leporinus piavussu by having 41 to 43, rarely 44 perforated scales in the lateral line (vs. 39 to 40, rarely 41). Individuals of Leporinus obtusidens from the upper Rio Paraná basin can be separated from individuals of L. piavussu by having mouth directed somewhat or entirely downward, its cleft at horizontal through ventral orbital margin or slightly below (vs. mouth terminal, its cleft above horizontal through ventral orbital margin) (Ref. 93038)
Adults inhabit medium to large rivers accomplishing very long reproductive and feeding
migration in rivers of the Paraná basin (Ref. 93038). They also occur in ponds. Omnivorous (Ref. 79585). Distinct pairs breed on densely grown weedy places (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Distinct pairs breed on densely grown weedy places (Ref. 205).
Ramirez, J.L., J.L.O. Birindelli and P.M. Galetti Jr., 2017. A new genus of Anostomidae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes): Diversity, phylogeny and biogeography based on cytogenetic, molecular and morphological data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 107: 308-323. (Ref. 113781)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01175 (0.00957 - 0.01443), b=3.07 (3.03 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.17 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.19).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 43.2 [8.4, 104.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.983 [0.444, 2.393] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [16.5, 21.0] %; Omega3 = 0.277 [0.104, 0.741] g/100g; Selenium = 21.6 [7.7, 57.4] μg/100g; VitaminA = 28 [8, 94] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.24 [0.81, 1.89] mg/100g (wet weight);
