Mormyrus longirostris
| Mormyrus longirostris | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Osteoglossiformes |
| Family: | Mormyridae |
| Genus: | Mormyrus |
| Species: | M. bernhardi |
| Binomial name | |
| Mormyrus bernhardi W. K. H. Peters, 1852 | |
Mormyrus longirostris, commonly referred as the eastern bottle-nosed mormyrid, is a medium-sized fish species belonging to the elephant-snout fish family Mormyridae. It was originally described by Wilhelm Peters in Monatsberichte der Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1852.[2]
This species grows to a maximum length of 75 centimetres (30 in) and can weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). The dorsal fin is more than twice the length of the anal fin. The dorsal origin is nearer to the tip of the snout than to the caudal fin base.
Ecology
It primarily feeds on weeds and insects, but also on other small invertebrates, such as small fish and fish eggs. They hunt using electricity and can give a mild electric shock to defend itself.
Range and habit
M. longirostris can be found in abundance across the plains of Africa in freshwater habitats, including the lower and middle Zambezi, lower Sabi and Ludi rivers and in the Luapula-Moero-Bangwelo (Zambian Congo system). It inhabits the Ruvuma and Rufiji rivers in Tanzania, lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Rukwa and other eastward-flowing rivers in Tanzania.
The species lives in caves and muddy areas with soft bottoms. It hides in weeds and characteristically forms small shoals.
Life history/behavior
Active mostly at night, it breeds during the summer rainy season, moving upstream in rivers after water has receded, with migrations at irregular intervals. Females carry 10,000–70,000 eggs at a time.
Relationship to humans
The fish is harvested for food with bait and hook.[3]
Status
The eastern bottlenose mormyrid is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.[1]
References
- 1 2 R. Bills, A. Getahun, J. Kazembe, B. Marshall & T. Moelants (2010). "Mormyrus longirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ↑ Günther, Albert (1866). Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum 6. London: Taylor and Francis. p. 216. OCLC 6392489.
- ↑ Skelton, Paul H. (2001). "Eastern bottlenose / oostelike bottelneus, Mormyrus longirostris Peters, 1852". A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. pp. 95–96. ISBN 9781868726431.
External links
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Mormyrus longirostris" in FishBase. April 2006 version.