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Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Micralestes: Greek, mikros = small + Greek,lestes = thief (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / profondeur / distribution range
Écologie
; eau douce pélagique; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 16; potamodrome (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 12468)
Africa: found in most Sahelo-Sudanese basins of West Africa (Senegal, Volta, Niger, Chad), in the Cross River basin (Ref. 80290), in Kenya (Ref. 52871), in Sudan and South Sudan (Ref. 28714) and in Ethiopia (Ref. 58460).
Taille / Poids / Âge
Maturité: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.0 cm TL mâle / non sexé; (Ref. 2880)
Épines anales: 0; Rayons mous anaux: 18 - 22. Diagnosis: lateral line complete, 23-29 (Ref. 81279) or 26-29 (Ref. 80290) lateral line scales. Anal fin with 3 unbranched and 15-19 (Ref. 81279) or 16-19 (Ref. 80290) branched rays. 11-14 gill rakers on lower part of first branchial arch; 6/8 premaxillary teeth (Ref. 2880, 81279). Inner dentary teeth conical, monocuspid; scales of flank without melanophores concentrated along basal margin, pigment diffuse or absent (Ref. 80290). Fins colorless, at most, pinkish; caudal fin tinged with pink (Ref. 2880, 81279). Tip of dorsal fin usually blackish (Ref. 2880, 80290, 81279). Widely distributed, never found in Cavally River (Ref. 2880, 81279).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Inhabits fringing vegetation of rivers and lakes, feeding on zooplankton, beetles and other insects (Ref. 28714). Often reported in West Africa under name of M. acutidens.
Affinities: most similar to M. acutidens, from which it differs in the presence of conical, monocuspid (vs multicuspid) inner dentary teeth, inner premaxillary and outer dentary with fewer cusps, and a slightly more slender body (Ref. 80290).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturité | Reproduction | Frai | Œufs | Fécondité | Larves
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)
Statut dans la liste rouge de l'IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Menace pour l'homme
Harmless
Utilisations par l'homme
Outils
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Sources Internet
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Réf.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00891 (0.00453 - 0.01754), b=2.92 (2.75 - 3.09), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Niveau trophique (Réf.
69278): 3.3 ±0.42 se; based on food items.
Résilience (Réf.
120179): Haut, temps minimum de doublement de population inférieur à 15 mois (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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