Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gymnotiformes (Knifefishes) >
Apteronotidae (Ghost knifefishes) > Apteronotinae
Etymology: Sternarchella: Greek, sternon = sternon, + Greek, diminutive, archos = anus (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; depth range 2 - 23 m (Ref. 13085). Tropical
South America: Amazon.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13085)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following: with a long snout, head length from the tip of the snout to the front of the eye) is 35-38% HL (vs. 24-32 %HL); eyes near the dorsal margin of the head (vs. eyes located on lateral margin of head in all species except S. duccis); maxilla with an enlarged anterior process greater than one-third the length of the descending blade (vs. reduced anterior process and less than one-third the length of descending maxillary blade); a robust oral dentition usually visible externally in mature specimens (vs. obscured dentition in all species except duccis, rex) (Ref. 126780).
Inhabit channels of white-water and black-water rivers (Ref. 13085). Stomach contents indicates that this species feeds on the scales and tails of other electric fishes (based on the presence of
stacked scales, vertebrae and cartilaginous regenerated caudal filament rods) (Ref. 126780).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Evans, K.M., W.G.R. Crampton and J.S. Albert, 2017. Taxonomic revision of the deep channel electric fish genus Sternarchella (Teleostei: Gymnotiformes: Apteronotidae), with descriptions of two new species. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 15(2):1-30. (Ref. 126780)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [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): 3.3 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).