Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Distichodontidae (Distichodus)
Etymology: Nannocharax: Latin, nannus = small + Greek, charax = a marine fish without identification (Ref. 45335); rubensteini: The species name, rubensteini, is in recognition of David Rubenstein who generously funded the Rubenstein Fellowships of the Encyclopedia of Life at the National Museum of Natural History (Ref. 93227).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Likouala drainage (middle Congo River basin) in Republic of Congo (Ref. 93227).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93227)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Vertebrae: 35 - 37. Diagnosis: Hemigrammocharax rubensteini is distinguished from all congeners, except H. lineostriatus, by the presence of a dark, typically continuous, longitudinal band extending from the posterodorsal margin of the opercle to the dark spot overlying the caudal peduncle, vs. a body pigmentation pattern consisting of several vertical bars in H. angolensis, H. machadoi, H. minutus, H. monardi, H. multifasciatus, and H. wittei or lacking a dark longitudinal band in H. ocellicauda and H. uniocellatus (Ref. 93227). Hemigrammocharax rubensteini differs from H. lineostriatus in having the dorsal-fin origin located anterior to the vertical through the pelvic-fin origin, vs. the dorsal-fin origin located posterior to the vertical through the pelvic-fin insertion; 18 to 30 perforated scales along the lateral line, vs. 6 to 9; and 12 to 14 branched dorsal-fin rays, vs. 9 to 11 (Ref. 93227). Hemigrammocharax rubensteini has a variably discontinuous lateral line which in some instances has only a few unpored scales and thus approximates the completely pored lateral line characteristic of the species of Nannocharax; it differs also from the members of that genus with a continuous dark midlateral longitudinal band both in the incompletely pored lateral line, vs. completely pored; and the lower number of total scales along that series, 35-38 vs. 39 or greater in N. ansorgii, N. latifasciatus, N. lineomaculatus, N. parvus and N. usongo (Ref. 93227).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Jerep, F.C. and R.P. Vari, 2013. New species of Hemigrammocharax (Characiformes: Distichodontidae) from the Northwestern Congo River Basin. Copeia 2013(1):31-37. (Ref. 93227)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
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=0.01413 (0.00599 - 0.03330), b=3.00 (2.80 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
