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Gonorynchiformes (Milkfishes) >
Phractolaemidae (Hingemouths)
Etymology: Phractolaemus: Greek, phraktos = fence + Greek, laimos = throttle (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr William John Ansorge (1850–1913) was an English explorer and collector who was active in Africa in the second half of the 19th century. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Boulenger.
Ambiente: milieu / zona climatica / distribuzione batimetrica / gamma di distribuzione
Ecologia
; acqua dolce benthopelagico; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: ? - 25. Tropical; 25°C - 30°C (Ref. 13371)
Africa: in West Africa from Lake Nokoué (Ouémé River, Benin) (Ref. 81277) to Cross River (Cameroon) (Ref. 52397), including Ogun, Osse and Niger Delta (Ref. 81277). Also in the middle Congo River basin (Ref. 93183) in Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Dimensione / Peso / Età
Maturità: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 25.0 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 93183)
Breve descrizione
Chiavi di identificazione | Morfologia | Morfometria
Spine dorsali (totale) : 0; Raggi dorsali molli (totale) : 6; Spine anali: 0; Raggi anali molli: 6; Vertebre: 34 - 38. Diagnosis: head depressed and strongly ossified; anterior nostril elongate, forming an oblique, forward-pointing tube; posterior nostril crescent-shaped, located just behind the narial tube (Ref. 2913, 81277). Mouth small, protrusible (Ref. 245, 31256, 81277), placed at tip of a proboscis and opening upwards between the narial tubes (Ref. 2913, 81277), on upper surface of snout (Ref. 245, 31256). Narrow gill opening, but opercles very well developed, covering also the underside of the head where they overlap (Ref. 2913, 81277, 93183).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: circular.
Facultative or obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Lives in forest pools and swamps (Ref. 41580). Microphagous (Ref. 4910, 41580, 45483), especially phytophagous (epiphytes), and detritiphagous (Ref. 41580). Swim bladder entirely alveolar, functioning like a lung; this adaptation to aerial breathing allows the fish to survive under poor oxygenation conditions (Ref. 2913, 81277); recorded from nearly deoxygenated lungfish nest in Pool Malebo, Congo DR (Ref. 41585). Gonads, which are largely fused, are situated ventrally, not dorsally, in abdominal cavity (Ref. 41580). Mouth can be projected as a small trunk (Ref. 2913). Eggs transparent, yellow-greenish, 1.5-1.7mm diameter; large females may have several thousands of eggs (Ref. 41580). Particular blood system, with dark coloured and an abundant amouth of blood (Ref. 4910).
Ciclo vitale e comportamento di accoppiamento
Maturità | Riproduzione | Deposizione | Uova | Fecondità | Larve
Males and females have lateral tubercles on their body which probably aid in maintaining contact during spawning (Ref. 38266).
Lévêque, C., 1990. Phractolaemidae. p. 189-191. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Tome I. Coll. Faune Tropicale n° XXVIII. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, and O.R.S.T.O.M.,Paris, 384 p. (Ref. 2913)
Stato della Lista Rossa IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Minaccia per l'uomo
Harmless
Usi umani
Strumenti
Rapporti speciali
Scarica XML
Fonti Internet
Stime basate su modelli
Indice di diversità filogenetica (Fonte Biblio. 82804) |
PD50 = 1.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
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Bayesian length-weight
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a=0.00437 (0.00169 - 0.01126), b=3.14 (2.91 - 3.37), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245). |
Livello trofico (Fonte Biblio. 69278) |
2.3 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies. |
Vulnerabilità della pesca (Ref. 59153) |
Low vulnerability (13 of 100). 🛈 |