Teleostei (teleosts) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Etymology: Potamothrissa: Greek, potamos = river + Greek, thrissa, -es = shad (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical; 7°N - 5°S
Africa: widespread in Congo River basin (Ref. 188, 28136) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 93833, 122734) and Central African Republic (Ref. 45441), also Lake Mweru in Zambia (Ref. 52959).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 188)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 16 - 20. Diagnosis: Body slender, its depth 19-27% of standard length; pre-pelvic scutes fairly strongly keeled, beginning under or just before pectoral fin base, 11-13 pre-pelvic and 10-12 post-pelvic scutes; snout pointed; lower jaw not projecting, included in upper when mouth closed, deepest at mid-point of jaw, with small saw-like teeth on either side; pre-maxillae with rather peg-like teeth, those near mid-line pointing forward; maxilla very slender, its blade over 3 times as long as deep, upper edge ridged, lower edge without denticulations; posterior supra-maxilla very small, spatulate, its shaft about as long as its blade; lower gillrakers 16-18 (Ref. 188). It differs from Potamothrissa obtusirostris and P. whiteheadi in its pointed snout, more gillrakers, 16-18 vs. 14-16 and 14-17 respectively, and first pre-pelvic scute beginning under or just before pectoral fin base (Ref. 188, 28136). Other pellonulines lack saw-like teeth at the sides of the lower jaw (Ref. 188).
Found in rivers and lakes, apparently in both running and still water (Ref. 188), but not swimming upriver in the smaller streams (Ref. 4910). The distribution of this species suggests that it tolerates a wide variety of water conditions (Ref. 188).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00912 (0.00433 - 0.01920), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
