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Beloniformes (Needle fishes) >
Belonidae (Needlefishes)
Etymology: Potamorrhaphis: Greek, potamos = river + Greek, rhaphis = needle (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecologia
; acqua dolce pelagico; distribuzione batimetrica 0 - ? m. Tropical; 23°C - 26°C (Ref. 2059)
South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins, and the Guianas.
Size / Peso / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 29.1 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 40653); common length : 12.3 cm OT maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 10994)
Short description
Chiavi di identificazione | Morfologia | Morfometria
Spine dorsali (totale) : 0; Raggi dorsali molli (totale) : 29 - 36; Spine anali: 0; Raggi anali molli: 25 - 32; Vertebre: 68 - 78. Predorsal scales 85-135, mean 110.3 (Ref. 10994, Table 7).
Forms schools at the surface. Prefers to inhabit marshes, small slow-moving creeks or even in main river beds, in the slowest parts of meandering streams next to banks (Ref. 35237). Voracious carnivore which appears to have a primarily nocturnal habit (Ref. 27188). During reproduction, the male positions itself beside the female or crosswise in front of her. Sometimes the male touches the female with his side, pushing her aside in an oblique position, with their heads oriented downwards. The couple settles next to a bush where the female spawns her eggs (15 to 40). Eggs adhere to plants by means of sticky filaments which are 2 to 3 mm long. At 27-30°C, incubation lasts for 9 to 10 days. Larvae are pelagic and carnivorous (Ref. 35237). Maximum length 40 cm TL in Keith et al., 2000 (Ref. 35237).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturità | Riproduzione | Deposizione | Uova | Fecundity | Larve
The eggs are attached to underwater vegetation. At 27-30 deg. Celsius the larvae hatch after 9 - 10 days. The larvae are pelagic carnivores.
Collette, B.B., 1982. South American freshwater needlefishes of the genus Potamorrhaphis (Beloniformes: Belonidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 95(4):714-747. (Ref. 10994)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Strumenti
Special reports
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00126 (0.00057 - 0.00279), b=3.11 (2.93 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilienza (Ref.
120179): Alto, tempo minimo di raddoppiamento della popolazione meno di 15 mesi (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (19 of 100).
