Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Petrocephalus: Latin, petra = stone + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: Upper and lower Niger, upper reaches of the Benue, coastal Nigerian basins, Volta and Chad basins.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57961)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29 - 34; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 35 - 39. Body depth 2.8-3.9 x SL, caudal peduncle height 16.8-18.9 x SL, base of anal fin 3.3-3.6 x SL. Eye diameter 3.0-3.7 x head length. First dorsal fin rays blackened extending to dark spot at base of dorsal fin's first ray. Upper and lower rays of caudal are also blackened forming a V.
Affinities: P. sauvagii.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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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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=0.01202 (0.00639 - 0.02262), b=2.86 (2.70 - 3.02), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).