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Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Marcusenius: Becasue of J. Marcusen, author of "Zur Phauna des Schwarzen Meeres", 1867; ichthyologist.
Eponymy: Dr Johann Andreas Marcusen (1817–1894) was a Latvian of German descent who was a physician, ichthyologist and zoologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Linnaeus.
Ambiente: milieu / zona climatica / distribuzione batimetrica / gamma di distribuzione
Ecologia
; acqua dolce demersale; potamodromo (Ref. 138143). Tropical
Africa: Nile (delta to Bahr-el-Jebel), Niger (Lower Niger and Benoué) and Chad basins (Ref. 3203, 81274).Also reported from the Albert Nile and Aswa River (White Nile basin) in Uganda and from the upper Congo (Ref. 4903), but the latter seems outside the species distribution area and is questionable.
Dimensione / Peso / Età
Maturità: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 33.0 cm SL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 2915); peso massimo pubblicato: 458.00 g (Ref. 2915)
Spine dorsali (totale) : 0; Raggi dorsali molli (totale) : 25 - 31; Spine anali: 0; Raggi anali molli: 30 - 37. Diagnosis: teeth small and conical (Ref. 4903, 81274), arranged in a single series confined to the middle of each jaw, 5-6 in both jaws (Ref. 4903). 16(-18) scales around caudal peduncle (Ref. 4903, 81274). Body depth 3.0-4.7 times in standard length; anal-fin base 0.7-0.9 times in dorsal-fin base (Ref. 81274). Head length 4-5.5 times in SL; upper head profile gently curved; snout 1/3-1/4 length of head; eye 1/2-2/3 length of snout; mouth small, a globular, fleshy swelling on the chin (Ref. 4903). Dorsal fin beginning slightly behind level of anal fin-origin (Ref. 2915, 81274), above the the 6th-9th anal fin ray (Ref. 4903) and comprising 25-31 rays (Ref. 2915, 4903, 81274). 70-92 lateral-line scales (Ref. 4903, 81274). Caudal-peduncle 2.0-3.4 times longer than deep (Ref. 2915, 4903, 81274). Caudal fin partly covered with small scales, its lobes pointed (Ref. 4903).
Coloration: silvery-grey, sometimes dark grey to blackish (Ref. 81274) or dark bluish-green dorsally (Ref. 4903).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
Adults inhabit lakes, lagoons, reservoirs and (irrigation) canals. They are bottom feeding insectivores that breed during the flood season and enters the floodplain for this purpose (Ref. 28714). Thay show three 'preferred' modes of intervals between electric organ discharges (inter-EOD) when at rest: 10-35 ms, 50-120 ms and 200-350 ms (Ref. 10833).
Ciclo vitale e comportamento di accoppiamento
Maturità | Riproduzione | Deposizione | Uova | Fecondità | Larve
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)
Stato della Lista Rossa IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Minaccia per l'uomo
Harmless
Usi umani
Pesca: scarso interesse commerciale
Strumenti
Rapporti speciali
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Stime basate su modelli
Indice di diversità filogenetica (Fonte Biblio.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00638 - 0.01972), b=2.86 (2.71 - 3.01), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Livello trofico (Fonte Biblio.
69278): 3.0 ±0.37 se; based on food items.
Resilienza (Fonte Biblio.
120179): Medio, tempo minimo di raddoppiamento della popolazione 1.4 - 4.4 anni (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerabilità della pesca (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).
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