Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: widespread throughout Lower and Central Congo River basin in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Angola (Ref. 96324, 122092), including Ubangui, Sangha and lower Kasai River systems (Ref. 122092). It has only been found in one locality in the Upper Congo, at Kabalo on the Lualaba River (Ref. 51906, 122092).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 122092)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 - 24; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 14. Diagnosis: Distichodus atroventralis is distinguished from D. affinis, D. altus, D. decemmaculatus, D. noboli, D. notospilus and D. teugelsi by the higher number of lateral line scales, 61-71 vs. 37-46; from D. antonii by the inferior mouth vs. terminal, and a lower number of dark vertical bars, 6-9 vs. 9-14; from D. fasciolatus by the higher number of pelvic-fin rays, 11, exceptionally 10, vs. 10, exceptionally 11, the lower number of dark vertical bars, at least in specimens smaller than about 150 mm standard length, 6-9 vs. 13-20, and the blackish pelvic fin, at least in specimens smaller than about 200 mm standard length vs. whitish-yellow; from D. langi by fewer dorsal-fin rays, 22-24 vs. 26-28, a lower number of pectoral-fin rays, 17-20 vs. 21, a shallower head, 35-53% of head length vs. 67-69, and fewer dark vertical bars, 6-8 vs. 13; from D. lusosso by the inferior mouth vs. terminal, and the short snout vs. elongated; from D. maculatus by the absence of dark blotches all over the body vs. dark blotches all over the body; and from D. sexfasciatus by the higher number of teeth in the outer row of the upper and lower jaw, 18-36 and 20-34 vs. 12-14 on both jaws, and the greenish to light brown and yellowish body colouration vs. orange-reddish (Ref. 122092). It is distinguished from its most similar congener, D. kasaiensis, by having fewer dorsal-fin rays, 22-24 vs. 27-29, more teeth in the upper jaw, 18-36 vs. 15-25 (overlap due to positive allometry), and by having a shorter dorsal-fin base, 20.1-28.8% of standard length vs. 24.9-33.7% (overlap due to positive allometry); and from D. ingae by having fewer dorsal-fin rays, 22-24 vs. 26, and shorter dorsal fin, 12.0-21.9% of standard length vs. 23.6-24.2%, anal fin, 9.9-15.7% of standard length vs. 16.9-17.5%, and pectoral fin, 14.2-20.5% of standard length vs. 21.6-22.7% (Ref. 122092).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Moelants, T., J. Snoeks and E. Vreven, 2018. Distichodus kasaiensis and D. ingae, two new distichodontid species (Characiformes: Distichodontidae) from the Congo basin. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 28(2):177-192. (Ref. 122092)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Special reports
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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=0.01479 (0.00616 - 0.03550), b=3.05 (2.86 - 3.24), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100).
