Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gonorynchiformes (Milkfishes) >
Kneriidae (Shellears)
Etymology: Kneria: From Kner, that studied fishes in the Imperial Museum of Vienna, with Jean Natterer (1817) (Ref. 45335); rukwaensis: Refers to the Lake Rukwa basin, Tanzania and Zambia, where the center of distribution of the species is situated; an adjective (Ref. 26644).
Eponymy: Dr Rudolf Kner (1810–1869) was an Austrian zoologist specialising in ichthyology. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; ? - 20°C (Ref. 27292)
Africa: restricted to the western drainage of the Lake Rukwa system and to the upper Kalambo drainage (Tanganyika basin) in Tanzania and Zambia (Ref. 26644).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26644)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 11; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11. Diagnosis: dorsal fin origin behind pelvic fin origin; 96-104 lateral line scales; preanal length 70.7-76.2% SL; prepelvic length 46.7-52.6% SL; 9-11 anal fin rays (Ref. 26644). Lower lobe of caudal fin longer and narrower than upper lobe in fully adult males (Ref. 26644, 27292), the upper lobe as long as the proximal part of the caudal fin (Ref. 27292). Opercular disc of males characteristic, its posterior margin broad, and postopercular apparatus well developed and pillow-like (Ref. 26644).
Maximum total length recorded is 7.44cm TL (Ref. 26644). Mostly found in stagnant pools and moderately flowing streams, only rarely in fast flowing currents; omnivorous; a female of 6.55cm TL releases about 400-500 ripe eggs of a diameter of 1.2mm (Ref. 27292). Apparently no marked spawning period (Ref. 44637). Male reported to change its coloration at night, being very pale with dark spots along the midline of the body (Ref. 27292).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Seegers, L., 1995. Revision of the Kneriidae of Tanzania with description of three new Kneria species (Teleostei: Gonorhynchifromes). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 6(2):97-128. (Ref. 26644)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
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).
