Distichodus nefasch
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Distichodus nefasch |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
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| ( Bonnaterre , 1788) |
Distichodus nefasch ( Syn .: Distichodus niloticus Hasselquist , 1762) belongs to the order of the tetra and iswidespreadin Africa . The name Distichodus comes from ancient Greek : di = two and stix, stichos = line, row.
features
Distichodus nefasch has an elongated body and reaches a maximum length of 83 centimeters TL with a weight of 6.2 kilograms. It is purple-gray with a silvery white underside. Young specimens have 10 to 13 dark vertical stripes on the body, a round blackish spot on or below the sideline above the pectoral fins and another at the base of the caudal fin which fade with age. There are numerous small, rounded, dark spots on the dorsal fin . The grayish, forked caudal fin with the rounded fin lobes is largely covered by scales, their edges are sometimes blackish in color. There is a small adipose fin covered by small scales . The rounded snout is somewhat flattened and protrudes a little over the mouth . The iris is light bronze brown. The number of scales on the sideline is 90 to 100.
distribution
The original distribution area of Distichodus nefasch extends to the countries Sudan , Ethiopia and Kenya . According to the FAO , the species was introduced to the Democratic Republic of the Congo at an unknown date . There are also unconfirmed reports of occurrences in Lower Guinea . In East Africa, Distichodus nefasch occurs in the White Nile , Lake Albert and Lake Turkana . Further distribution areas are the river systems Jebel and Ghazal in Sudan's Sudd , the Blue Nile , the Nasser (Lake Nubia) and the Baro and Omo River in southern Ethiopia.
Way of life
Distichodus nefasch is an omnivore, but feeds mainly on aquatic plants, mainly underwater plants, Eichhornia roots and periphyton . The fish species can usually be found near the shore zone, especially in river deltas but also in open water. Distichodus nefasch is oviparous . The species can live up to seven years in captivity .
Endangerment status
Distichodus nefasch is under high fishing pressure in East Africa. Its habitat is increasingly degraded by intensive agricultural management.
Taxonomy
For a long time the species was called Distichodus niloticus ( Hasselquist , 1762) by most editors , the name is also still used by the IUCN . This name is taxonomically invalid. It is based on a misidentification of Hasselquist , who wrongly equated this species with Salmo niloticus Linnaeus. In addition, because it appeared too early, Hasselquist's work cannot be used for taxonomic purposes. Another synonym is Salmo aegyptius Gmelin , 1789 (also erroneously written as aegyptiacus ).
Notes and individual references
- ↑ a b R. Fricke 2008: Authorship, availability and validity of fish names described by Peter (Pehr) Simon Forsskål and Johann Christian Fabricius in the 'Descriptiones animalium' by Carsten Niebuhr in 1775 (Pisces). Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History, Series A (Biology), New Series, v. 1: 1-76 ( online )
- ↑ a b Distichodus nefasch on Fishbase.org (English)
- ↑ Melanie LJ Stiassny, Guy G. Teugels, Carl D. Hopkins: Fresh and Brackish Water Fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa. IRD, 2008, ISBN 978-2709916202 , p. 67.
- ↑ a b c d Distichodus niloticus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: E. Akinyi, T. Bousso, A. Getahun, M. Hanssens, P. Lalèyè, T. Moelants, T. Twongo, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: Lake Turkana ( Memento of the original from October 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ An Age The Animal Aging and Longevity Page: Distichodus niloticus
- ↑ Francisco W. Welter-Schultes & Verena Feuerstein (2008): Nomenclatural notes on Torpedo (Chondrichthyes: Torpedinidae) and some other early established fish taxa (Actinopterygii: Molidae, Eleginopidae and Citharinidae). Species, Phylogeny and Evolution 1 (3): 141-145.
