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Teleostei (teleosts) > Characiformes (Characins) > Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Hydrocynus: Greek, hydr = water + Greek, kyon = dog (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.

Issue
Affinities: H. vittatus (Ref. 2880, 80290).

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

Freshwater; pelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical (Ref. 5331)

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

Africa: Cross, Wouri and Sanaga basin in Lower Guinea ichthyofaunal province (Ref. 80290). Also in Chad, Niger, Ogun, Ouémé, Mono, Volta, Comoé, Bandama, Sassandra, Nipoué, St. Paul, Mano, Little Scarcies, Gambia and Senegal basins in West Africa (Ref. 2880, 80290, 81279); Nile River, including Lake Albert (Ref. 4903, 5331); Lake Turkana and Omo River (Ref. 2880, 5331, 80290); and Congo River basin (Ref. 2880, 80290).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 20.0, range 21 - ? cm
Max length : 78.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2880); max. published weight: 15.5 kg (Ref. 13337); max. reported age: 4 years (Ref. 2757)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Diagnosis: 2 scale rows between lateral line and scaly process at pelvic-fin bases; eye <70% of interorbital space (Ref. 2880, 81279). Dorsal-fin uniformly greyish and its origin in front of pelvic fins; adipose fin greyish; caudal fin without black edge (Ref. 80290, 81279).

Forms shoals; an open water predator often found near the water surface; feeds on fishes, preferring long bodied fish as they are easier to swallow and also takes insects, grass and snails; cannibalistic; preyed upon by fish eagle Haliaeetus vocifer; breeding migrations have been reported up several tributaries of Lake Kariba during the rains (Ref. 13337).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Paugy, D. and S.A. Schaefer, 2007. Alestidae. p. 347-411. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale/The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, west-central Africa. Vol. 1. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Istitut de recherche pour le développement, Paris, France, Muséum nationale d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royale de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique. 800 p. (Ref. 80290)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 08 May 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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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=0.00759 (0.00382 - 0.01506), b=3.15 (2.96 - 3.34), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.0 ±0.75 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.17-0.45; tmax=4).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (39 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 77.7 [34.3, 189.1] mg/100g; Iron = 1.64 [0.88, 3.93] mg/100g; Protein = 19 [17, 21] %; Omega3 = 0.309 [0.128, 0.777] g/100g; Selenium = 60.1 [24.5, 148.2] μg/100g; VitaminA = 40.5 [14.9, 108.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.2 [0.8, 1.7] mg/100g (wet weight);

Hydrocynus forskahlii (Cuvier, 1819)