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Alestes dentex (Linnaeus, 1758)

Characin
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Alestes dentex
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Characiformes (Characins) > Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Alestes: Greek, alestes, -oy = miller (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 6.5; dH range: 4 - 18; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 24°C - 27°C (Ref. 13371)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Chad, Niger, Volta, Gambia, Senegal (Ref. 2880, 81279). Outside West Africa this species is found in Nile basin, including Lower Nile, White Nile, Blue Nile and Murchison Nile (Ref. 5331) and Lake Mobutu Sese Seko [=Lake Albert] and Omo-Lake Turkana system (Ref. 2880).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 22 - ? cm
Max length : 55.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2880); max. published weight: 600.00 g (Ref. 3799); max. reported age: 7 years (Ref. 2758)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 21 - 26; Vertebrae: 45 - 48. Diagnosis: multicuspid teeth set in two rows and not overlapping the jaws when the mouth is closed; teeth stout, not compressed; eyes without or with weakly developed adipose lids; anal fin with 22-26 rays (Ref. 28714). At most 27 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch (18-27); 3 unbranched and 18-23 branched anal-fin rays; dorsal-fin origin distinctly behind level of pelvic-fin insertions (Ref. 2880, 81279). Scales small (Ref. 28714), 43-51 in lateral line (Ref. 2880, 81279).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Omnivorous, stomachs examined contained seeds, zooplankton, insects or fish fry (Ref. 28714). Two subspecies: Alestes dentex dentex in the Nile and Alestes dentex sethente (Valenciennes, 1849) in Sudanian basins of West Africa.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Up to 300 eggs are scattered on the bottom. Larvae hatch after about 6 days.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Paugy, D., 1990. Characidae. p. 195-236. 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 et O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris, 384 p. (Ref. 2880)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 17 June 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
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Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5078   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01148 (0.00528 - 0.02495), b=3.00 (2.82 - 3.18), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.9   ±0.37 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=7; tm=2; K=0.43-.075).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 96.6 [36.9, 226.5] mg/100g; Iron = 1.87 [0.93, 4.50] mg/100g; Protein = 19.1 [17.1, 21.4] %; Omega3 = 0.469 [0.182, 1.290] g/100g; Selenium = 56.3 [23.4, 146.4] μg/100g; VitaminA = 25.4 [9.0, 69.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.74 [1.21, 2.54] mg/100g (wet weight);