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Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Alestopetersius: Greek, a = without + Greek, lestes = thief + Peters, 1877, naturalist, expeditionary in Asia; conspectus: Conspectus, from the Latin, in reference to the conspicuous markings on the caudal fin and striking, bright coloration of the species in life (Ref. 89102).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 5.8 - 6.5. Tropical; 21°C - 23°C (Ref. 89102)
Africa: Kwilu River, middle Congo River basin, in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 89102).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89102)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 21 - 23; Vertebrae: 36 - 37. Diagnosis: Alestopetersius conspectus, is distinguished from A. smykalai, A. leopoldianus, A. nigropterus, A. caudalis, and A. sp. "mbuji" in the possession of 12, vs. 10, circumpeduncular scales (Ref. 89102). It is readily distinguished from A. brichardi, A. compressus, A. hilgendorfi, and A. tumbensis in the possession of a caudal-fin pigmentation consisting of a median black band extending to the caudal-fin margin and flanked by dense black bands in both upper and lower fin lobes (Ref. 89102). Alestopetersius bifasciatus, which shares similar caudal fin pigmentation, is distinguished from A. conspectus by the absence of a broad mid-lateral band on the body, and in tooth morphology (Ref. 89102).
Found in shallow water with water temperature of 21–21.5°C and pH ranging from 5.8–6.5; riverbanks variously covered with dense, undisturbed riparian vegetation, heavily degraded urban areas and cleared agricultural area (Ref. 89102). Short guts and large stomachs with 6-8 fleshy pyloric caeca suggest a carnivorous diet; stomachs with remnants of insect head capsules and disarticulated body parts, most of terrestrial origin, with a preponderance of ants and small midges presumably taken at the water surface (Ref. 89102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Mbimbi Mayi Munene, J.J. and M.L.J. Stiassny, 2012. A new Alestopetersius (Characiformes: Alestidae) from the Kwilu River (Kasai basin) of central Africa; with a phylogeny for the genus and synonymy of Duboisialestes. Zootaxa 3166:59-68. (Ref. 89102)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01148 (0.00528 - 0.02495), b=3.00 (2.82 - 3.18), 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
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
