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: Cunene River below Ruacana Falls in Namibia (Ref. 91771) and Angola (Ref. 120641).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 91771)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 24; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 26 - 31. Diagnosis: Body depth 28.3-34.0% of standard length; head length 25.0-27.7% of standard length; preanal length 59.0-62.8% of standard length; anal fin length 21.5-25.6% of standard length; diameter defined by orbital rims 25.9-32.9% of head length; length of snout to posterior orbital rim of eye 47.0-51.4% of head length; length of snout to centre of eye 35.2-39.1% of head length; number of dorsal fin rays 20-24; number of scales in lateral line row 38-42 (Ref. 91771).
Found in rather strong currents; dicotyledonous trees, extensive reed beds and semiaquatic bushes dominate the river banks, which are rocky or sandy depending on the inside or outside bank (Ref. 91771).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kramer, B., R. Bills, P. Skelton and M. Wink, 2012. A critical revision of the churchill snoutfish, genus Petrocephalus Marcusen, 1854 (Actinopterygii: Teleostei: Mormyridae), from southern and eastern Africa, with the recognition of Petrocephalus tanensis, and the description of five new species. Journal of Natural History 46(35-36):2179-2258. (Ref. 91771)
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=0.01549 (0.00684 - 0.03506), b=2.86 (2.68 - 3.04), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this 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).
