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Teleostei (teleosts) > Characiformes (Characins) > Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Micralestes: Greek, mikros = small + Greek,lestes = thief (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.

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

Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: endemic to Lake Tanganyika, present in Lufuko River at Mpala (Ref. 42032, 94006) and in Lukuga River outflow (Ref. 97302).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 18. Body height 3.35-3.6 times in standard length (Ref. 42032). Head length 3.95-4.1 times in standard length (Ref. 42032). Cuspid number: on external row of upper jaw 3-5, on internal row of upper jaw 5-8, on external row of lower jaw 5-7, on internal row of lower jaw 1 (Ref. 42032). Black mediolateral band starting behind the operculum and quickly enlarging towards the back, ending at the origin of the caudal fin (Ref. 42032). Mediolateral band silvery in live specimens (Ref. 42032). Fins without black spot (Ref. 42032).

Inhabits rivers and lagoons (Ref. 4967). Water beetles, insect remains, pieces of weed, algae, sand grains and debris found in stomach (Ref. 36899).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Eccles, D.H., 1992. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Tanzania. Prepared and published with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (project URT/87/016). FAO, Rome. 145 p. (Ref. 4967)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 31 January 2006

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Internet sources

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=0.01072 (0.00484 - 0.02371), b=3.02 (2.84 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Micralestes vittatus (Boulenger, 1917)