Common names from other countries
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Petrocephalus: Latin, petra = stone + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335); longicapitis: The species name longicapitis refers to this species' long head (Ref. 91771).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: upper and middle Zambezi River (Ref. 91771). Also in the Okavango in Angola (Ref. 120641).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 91771)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21 - 25; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 26 - 30. Diagnosis: Head length 25.8-29.6% of standard length; predorsal length 61.9-65.7% of standard length; preanal length 57.5-61.7% of standard length; depth of caudal peduncle 33.4-39.8% of its length; 12 scales around caudal peduncle; 37-39 scales in lateral line row (Ref. 91771).
Appears to prefer quiet reaches of oxbow lakes or arms with dense vegetation on borders; where it occurs in the main river channel, sand and gravel substrate mainly with occasional rocky rapids; during the day associated with marginal cover in holes in banks, root stocks and aquatic weed beds (Ref. 91771).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Kramer, B., R. Bills, P. Skelton and M. Wink, 2012. A critical revision of the churchill snoutfish, genus Petrocephalus Marcusen, 1854 (Actinopterygii: Teleostei: Mormyridae), from southern and eastern Africa, with the recognition of Petrocephalus tanensis, and the description of five new species. Journal of Natural History 46(35-36):2179-2258. (Ref. 91771)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01585 (0.00697 - 0.03603), b=2.85 (2.67 - 3.03), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).