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Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Amphiliidae (Loach catfishes) > Leptoglaninae
Etymology: Zaireichthys: Composed form Zaire river + Greek,ichtys = fish; the habitat of this fish (Ref. 45335).
Issue
Fam. Bagridae in Ref. 7324.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 10°N - 7°N
Africa: upper Benue River in Cameroon (Ref. 57128, 86935) and upper Niger River in Guinea (Ref. 57128).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 51287)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 1 - 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 7; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 7 - 10; Vertebrae: 34 - 39. Diagnosis: This species is distinguished from most of the other species by its more slender form, with standard length larger than 8 times body depth, by the short humeral process, less than 20% of the lateral head length and by the possession of only two or three barbs on the pectoral-fin spines (Ref. 86935). It is distinguished from Zaireichthys mandevillei by the large eye, more than one sixth of the head length, vs. 12 times in head length (Ref. 86935). A dwarf species with an edentate palate (Ref. 57128).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Eccles, D.H., D. Tweddle and P.H. Skelton, 2011. Eight new species in the dwarf catfish genus Zaireichthys (Siluriformes: Amphiliidae). Smithiana Bull. (13):3-28. (Ref. 86935)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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