Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Petrocephalus: Latin, petra = stone + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr William John Ansorge (1850–1913) was an English explorer and collector who was active in Africa in the second half of the 19th century. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 20°C - 25°C (Ref. 13614)
Africa: Upper and Lower Niger, the Bénuoé, coastal rivers of Nigeria.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 1.8  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2915)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29 - 34; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 35 - 39. Body depth 2.9-3.5 x SL, caudal peduncle depth 18.8-21.6 x SL, base of anal fin 3.1-3.4 x SL. Eye diameter 3.0-3.5 x head length. Body silvery with 1st rays of dorsal darkened and dorsal spot separate from dorsal fin.
Affinities: P. bane and P. sauvagii.
Bigorne, R., 1990. Mormyridae. p. 122-184. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux saumâtres d'Afrique de l'Ouest. tome 1. Faune Trop. 28. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, and ORSTOM, Paris. (Ref. 2915)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01413 (0.00800 - 0.02494), b=2.85 (2.70 - 3.00), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec < 1,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).