Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfish) >
Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Etymology: Malapterurus: Greek, mala = a lot of + Greek, pteron = fin + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); stiassnyae: Named to honor the collector of the holotype, Melanie L. J. Stiassny (American Museum of Natural History, New York), who has raised an eloquent voice in conservation matters (Ref. 44050).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical, preferred ?
Africa: broadly distributed in Upper Guinean basins east of the Fouta Dialon uplands, from the Bofon River (Guinea) to the St. Paul River (Liberia); also verified from the Cavally basin (Ref. 44050, 57130).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57130)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 0;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 8 - 11;
Vertebrae: 38 - 42. Diagnosis: body elongate and cylindrical; tooth patches narrow; vertically based pectoral fins positioned at the body mid-depth; 8-11 anal-fin rays; usually more than 17 gill rakers on first arch; 2 ventral unbranched and 7-8 branched caudal-fin rays; 8-11 pectoral-fin rays; caudal saddle and bar pattern well developed in juveniles and young; caudal fin darkly pigmented in adults; caudal saddle and bar merged dorsally in specimens in which they are still visible (Ref. 44050).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Norris, S.M., 2002. A revision of the African electric catfishes, family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 289:1-155. (Ref. 44050)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries:
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