Hippopotamyrus ansorgii
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| Hippopotamyrus ansorgii | ||||||||||||
| ( Boulenger , 1905) |
Hippopotamyrus ansorgii is an African freshwater fish from the Nilhechte family(Mormyridae). It occurs in the Cuanza , the Kwango , the Kunene , the Okavango and the Upper Zambezi . Isolated populations live in the Ruo , a tributary of the Lower Shire in Malawi , and in the Buzi and Pungwe in Mozambique . Possible occurrences in Inkisi , in the catchment area of the lower Congo , and in the Lufira and Luwombwa in the river basin of the upper Congo are uncertain.
features
The fish reach a length of 15 cm, are elongated and have a terminal mouth. The attachment of the dorsal fin is behind the attachment of the anal fin and closer to the caudal fin base than to the tip of the mouth. The dorsal fin is supported by 18 or 19 rays and is thus shorter than the anal fin, which is supported by 24 to 26 rays. The chin swelling, which is typical for many Nilhechte, is only weakly developed in Hippopotamyrus ansorgii . A vertical black band that extends from the beginning of the dorsal fin attachment to the anal fin distinguishes Hippopotamyrus ansorgii and Hippopotamyrus szaboi , its sister species , from all other Nile pike in southern Africa.
Way of life
Hippopotamyrus ansorgii is relatively rare and occurs in fast flowing waters with stony and rocky bottoms. The species feeds on small invertebrates, e.g. B. of insect larvae.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Bernd Kramer, Herman Van Der Bank, Michael Wink: Hippopotamyrus ansorgii species complex in the Upper Zambezi River System with a description of a new species, H. szaboi (Mormyridae). Zoologica Scripta, January 33, 2004, PDF
- ↑ a b c Hippopotamyrus ansorgii on Fishbase.org (English)