Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) >
Mastacembelidae (Spiny eels)
Etymology: Mastacembelus: Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, emballo = to throw oneself (Ref. 45335); shiloangoensis: Named for the Shiloango River basin, to which the species seems to be endemic (Ref. 52436).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: endemic to the Chiloango River basin in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 52436, 81678) and Angola (Ref. 120641).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52436)
Dorsal spines (total): 25 - 27; Dorsal soft rays (total): 72 - 85; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 66 - 79; Vertebrae: 86 - 88. Diagnosis: head length 14.2-14.9% SL (mean 14.6%), decreasing with size (Ref. 81678). Origin of first dorsal spine situated behind posterior edge of pectoral fin, 2.5-9.9% SL (mean 5.3%)(Ref. 52436, 81678). Body depth 6.7% SL; distance from tip of snout to last externally visible dorsal spine 50.5-51.6% SL (mean 51.2%), decreasing with size (Ref. 81678). Origin of soft dorsal fin clearly anterior to origin of soft anal fin (Ref. 52436, 81678). Lower jaw length 21.3-26.9% HL (mean 23.9%), increasing with size; distance from gill opening to dorsal pectoral fin base 4.3-9.6% HL (Ref. 81678). 24+1 to 26+1 (median 25+1) dorsal spines; no preorbital spines; no preopercular spines (Ref. 52436, 81678). Color pattern characterized by a series of mediodorsally situated dark brown to black spots on body, tail and proximal parts of dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 52436).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Occurs in streams (Ref. 52436). Maximum reported total length 151 mm (Ref. 81678).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Vreven, E.J., 2004. Aethiomastacembelus shiloangoensis, a new spiny-eel fron the Shiloango River basin, Africa (Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 15(2):97-104. (Ref. 52436)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00269 (0.00128 - 0.00564), b=2.94 (2.76 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.6 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).
🛈
