Malapterurus microstoma Poll & Gosse, 1969
Smallmouth electric catfish
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Malapterurus microstoma
Picture by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver
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Picture by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) > Siluriformes (Catfishes) > Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); microstoma: From the Greek "micro"=small + "stoma"=mouth, in reference to the narrowed snout and mouth typical for this species (Ref. 44050).
More on authors: Poll & Gosse.
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); microstoma: From the Greek "micro"=small + "stoma"=mouth, in reference to the narrowed snout and mouth typical for this species (Ref. 44050).
More on authors: Poll & Gosse.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 23°C - 28°C (Ref. 2059)
Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Africa: throughout the Congo River basin (Ref. 44050, 78218), but absent from the lowland, central portion of the basin (Ref. 44050).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 55.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44050); 54.0 cm SL (female)
Max length : 55.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44050); 54.0 cm SL (female)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10 - 13; Vertebrae: 40 - 42. Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; horizontally based pectoral fins, placed low on the body; snout sharply narrowed rostrally; 40-42 vertebrae; 7-29 gill-rakers; 11-12 anal-fin rays; caudal saddle and bar pattern very faintly expressed; 7-8 branched caudal-fin rays; body finely spotted; lateral line complete (Ref. 44050).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: circular.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: circular.
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Norris, S.M., 2002. A revision of the African electric catfishes, family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 289:1-155. (Ref. 44050)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 16 February 2009
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Other
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |
More information
Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
|
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
| Bayesian length-weight | a=0.01175 (0.00476 - 0.02897), b=3.00 (2.79 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245). |
|
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.5 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives |
|
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100). 🛈 |
|
Price category (Ref. 80766) |
Unknown. |