Eastern bottlenose mormyrid (Mormyrus longirostris) fish species and information / pictures of Eastern bottlenose mormyrid - Mormyrus longirostris

Eastern bottlenose mormyrid (Mormyrus longirostris) fish species information

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Scientific Name
Mormyrus longirostris

Common Name
Eastern bottlenose mormyrid

Biology
Found in caves and muddy areas, also hides among weeds. Favours quiet deep water with a soft muddy bottom. Forms shoals. Feeds on weeds and insects but may also feed on small fishes and fish eggs , blood worms , small crustaceans and mollusks. Active mainly at night; breeds during the rainy season, moving upstream in rivers after flood spates have receded. Migrations appears to occur at irregular interval as this fish is not a powerful swimmer and would not be able to cope with very high water current. Females carry 10,000-70,000 eggs; can give a mild shock when caught.

Classification

Classified By

Peters, 1852

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Bony tongues (Osteoglossiformes)

Family

Elephantfishes (Mormyridae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: lower and middle Zambezi, Buzi, Pungwe , lower Sabi and Ludi Rivers , Luapula-Moero-Bangwelo . Also known from the Ruvuma and Rufiji rivers in Tanzania , lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Rukwa, and other eastward flowing rivers in Tanzania.

Range

11°S - 21°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous

Trophic Level

3.3 s.e. 0.46 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

75.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.22)

Threat To Humans

Other (Ref. 52193)

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)