Malawi country information

Common names: Mphuta, Ntchentcheta, Ntchentcheta
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Collection sites and abundance: North Matope (present), Matope (present), Tedzami Downstream (fairly common) (Ref. 37112).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies/Plea/mfri.htm
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Gosse, J.-P., 1984
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Zambezi parrotfish, 盘吻河马长颌鱼, Rypoun mosambický, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) > Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: More on author: Peters.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 22°C - 24°C (Ref. 12468); 11°S - 21°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Cunene, Okavango, Buzi, Pungwe (Ref. 52193), Zambezi (Ref. 3203, 52193, 95585), Save (Ref. 13337) and Cubango Rivers (Ref. 3203). Absent from the Kafue River (Ref. 7248, 52193, 95585). Also in Malagarasi River, Lake Rukwa (Ref. 27292), lakes Tanganyika and Malawi (Ref. 3203, 52193). In the Congo basin known from the Lindi-Tshopo (Ref. 106290), upper Kasai (middle Congo River basin)(Ref. 2970), Lualaba (Ref. 45434), upper Lualaba (Ref. 2970, 45434) and the Mweru-Luapula-Bangweulu area (Ref. 13337, 95585).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 11.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 31.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967); max. published weight: 1.1 kg (Ref. 52193)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28 - 37; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 23 - 27; Vertebrae: 39 - 41. Diagnosis: Dorsal fin up to 1.5 times in length of anal fin; origin of dorsal fin in advance of anal fin (Ref. 52193). Snout rounded, in front of mouth; eye well above mouth; chin with fleshy bulge (Ref. 4967). For distinguishing between specimens of Cyphomyrus discorhynchus en C. cubangoensis, the most useful anatomical characters are: longer dorsal fin length, longer anal fin length, higher number of dorsal fin rays and anal fin rays, and a higher caudal peduncle depth and caudal peduncle length ratio in C. discorhynchus than in C. cubangoensis (Ref. 119538).

Nocturnal shoaling species; favors large river channels with a soft bottom and fringing vegetation (Ref. 7248, 52193). Found mainly in sheltered bays, lagoons and swampy areas; occurs also in typical sandy or rocky rivers (Ref. 13337). Feeds on bottom-living invertebrates (Ref. 52193) and insect larvae at night (Ref. 5595). Known to migrate up tributary rivers of Lake Kariba during rainy season, though it is not yet clear whether this is a breeding migration (Ref. 13337). Breeds during summer rainy season; females carry up to 5,000 eggs (Ref. 7248).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Gosse, J.-P., 1984. Mormyridae. p. 63-122. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 1. (Ref. 3203)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 16 July 2018

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges

Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos

Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths

Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities

Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

Outreach
Collaborators

Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures

References
References

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01479 (0.00857 - 0.02554), b=2.80 (2.65 - 2.95), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.2 ±0.40 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.16).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Cyphomyrus discorhynchus (Peters, 1852)