Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gonorynchiformes (Milkfishes) >
Kneriidae (Shellears)
Etymology: vilhenae: Dedicated to M. De Vilhena, Administrator-Director of the Compagnie diamantaire angolaise (Diamang) in appreciation of his support for the faunistic study of Angola (Ref. 11970, 89136).
Eponymy: Comandante Ernesto Jardim de Vilhena (1876–1967) was a Portuguese naval officer (1898– 1920), during which time he was also a colonial administrator in Africa (1902–1912) and a politician, including being Minister for the Colonies (1917–1920). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Poll.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: rivers Lulua and Luachimo (Kasai drainage, middle Congo River basin) in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola (Ref. 11970, 89136).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.7 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3565)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 38 - 39. Diagnosis: body depth 6.4-8.5 times in SL; head length 4.15-4.4 times in SL; snout rounded, 2.4-2.7 times in HL; eye superolateral, 5-5.75 times in HL, 1.5-1.85 times in interorbital space, 2-2.35 times in snout length; dorsal fin origin 1.15-1.3 times further from snout tip than from caudal fin origin, slightly in front of pelvic fin origin; anal fin origin 2-2.6 times further from pelvic fin origin than from caudal fin origin; pectoral fins large, 4-4.5 times in SL and 0.95-1.1 times longer than head; pelvic fins 5-5.9 times in SL, 1.15-1.4 times in HL; caudal peduncle 1.4-1.7 times longer than deep (Ref. 11970, 89136).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Poll, M., 1984. Kneriidae. p. 129-133. 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. 3565)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).