| Family: |
Schilbeidae (Schilbid catfishes) |
| Max. size: |
11.5 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater; pH range: 6 - 8; dH range: 5 - 19, potamodromous |
| Distribution: |
Africa: lower Niger (Nigeria), lower Ouémé (Benin) and coastal freshwater lagoons lying between these rivers; also in the Cross River (Nigeria)(Ref. 57127, 81643). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 4-5; Anal soft rays: 28-36. Diagnosis: inner and sometimes outer side of pectoral spine with small serrations; 28-36 branched anal-fin rays; 5-9 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch; only one pair of mandibular barbels (Ref. 43912, 57127, 81643). Palatine teeth present (Ref. 57127, 81643). 6-8 branchiostegal rays on one side of head; 4-5 branched dorsal fin rays; peculiar coloration characterized by dark spot on upper and lower lobe of caudal fin, oblique lateral streak from posterior border of opercle to above anus and a mid-dorsal narrow dark line which is never continuous with upper caudal fin spot (Ref. 43912).
Description: 7-8 branched pectoral fin rays; 35-37 non-fused vertebrae; caudal peduncle longer than deep; inner side of pectoral spine and posterior side of dorsal spine feebly serrated; sometimes anterior parts of pectoral and dorsal spines also feebly serrated; posterior and anterior nostrils more or less equally separated, but some specimens have posterior nostrils closer to each other than anterior ones; nasal barbel at least reaching to just beyond anterior border of eye and at maximum to almost midway between eye and opercle, in life held erect; maxillary barbels reaching to posterior border of opercle or beyond; mandibular barbels, inserted at level of anterior third of eye, at least reaching to posterior border of operculum and at maximum to halfway pectoral spine; no trace of intermandibular barbels; head rather narrow and rounded; snout reaching slightly beyond lower jaw (Ref. 43912). Most closely related to P. debauwi from which it is distinguished by its peculiar coloration pattern (Ref. 43912).
Coloration: in live as well as in preserved specimens: head and back brown; dark brown mid-lateral band runs from just behind eye to hind margin of caudal fin; short second lateral band begins above pectoral-fin base and runs obliquely backwards to above anal-fin base; both caudal-fin lobes with a dark brown, more or less elongate spot; dorsal fin, pectorals and pelvics unpigmented (Ref. 43912, 57127, 81643). Base of anal fin marked by a small dark line (Ref. 43912). In life: basic colour whitish; dark markings dark blue to black (Ref. 43912). |
| Biology: |
Probably lives in open water, in relation to its gregarious habits (Ref. 43912). Oviparous, eggs are unguarded (Ref. 205). Max. TL 81mm (Ref. 3570, 43912), max. SL 70 mm (Ref. 81643). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 June 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
