Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; pH range: 7.0 - ? ; dH range: 10 - ?. Tropical; 24°C - 26°C (Ref. 2060)
Africa: Nile basin (Ref. 28714, 58460), Chad (Ref. 367, 57417), Senegal, Gambia, Geba, Volta River basins (Ref. 57417). Also found in Lake Turkana in Kenya (Ref. 52331).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 18.2  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 43.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2829); max. published weight: 1.0 kg (Ref. 3799); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 126183)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 2 - 3;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 9-10;
Anal
spines: 2;
Anal
soft rays: 7 - 8. Diagnosis: skin scaleless, but head and body covered with small spines except on snout and caudal region; teeth form beak-like structure consisting in each jaw of two pieces fused on midline and covered by layer of enamel; nostrils consisting of two fleshy lobes placed in front of folded collar surrounding the opening; two pairs of non-perforated nasal tentacles; dorsal and anal fins short and placed far back on body; pectoral fins well developed; no pelvic fins; caudal fin rounded, its length comprised 3 times in SL; longitudinal stripes along sides of body in adults; black-rimmed red ocelli (eyespots) present in juveniles (Ref. 57417).
Found in large rivers (Ref. 2829), open water, weed beds and vegetated fringes; feeds on mollusks (Ref. 28714). Ventral pocket communicates gill chamber with oesophagus, allowing fish to inflate its body like a ball (Ref. 57417).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Roberts, T.R., 1986. Tetraodontidae. p. 434-436. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 2829)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
More information
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