Common names from other countries
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Citharinidae (Lutefishes)
Etymology: Citharinus: Latin, cithara = lire like instrument (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 22°C - 28°C (Ref. 2059)
Africa: Gambia, Senegal, Niger, Volta, Ouémé, Chad (Ref. 2938, 7095, 81281) and Nile basins (Ref. 28714). Also known from Lake Turkana (Ref. 2938, 7095) and Lake Albert (Ref. 4903). Previously, 2 subspecies were recognized: Citharinus citharus citharus and Citharinus citharus intermedius.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 18 - ? cm
Max length : 58.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2938); max. published weight: 7.0 kg (Ref. 7095)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 21; Anal soft rays: 26 - 31. Diagnosis: body depth 1.8-2.7x and head length 3.0-4.1x SL; caudal peduncle 0.7-1.4x long than deep; short snout, slightly prominent; snout 0.7-1.6x eye diameter; eye diameter 3.7-6.1x head length; adipose-fin base shorter than distance separating it from rayed dorsal fin (ratio adipose base/distance to rayed dorsal is 0.5-0.8); pectoral fins 0.5-1.1x head length; cycloid scales; scale formula 22.5-25.5/77-92/22.5-25.5; 77-92 scales in longitudinal line; 17.5-20.5 scales between lateral line and pelvic fin; 17-21 dorsal fin branched rays; 26-30 anal fin branched rays (Ref. 2938, 81281).
Common in large rivers of the Sudan region (Ref. 7095).
Total spawner (Ref. 56313).
Gosse, J.-P., 1990. Citharinidae. p. 261-268. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Tome I. Coll. Faune Tropicale n° XXVIII. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren and O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris, 384 p. (Ref. 2938)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5195 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01318 (0.00670 - 0.02594), b=2.87 (2.69 - 3.05), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.13-0.59; Fec=685,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).