Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Brycinus: Greek, ebrykon, brykomai = to bite, to gnaw (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.
Issue
Affinities: B. taeniurus is close to B. opisthotaenia and especially to B. kingsleyae; however, generally B. taeniurus has no humeral spot and more numerous gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; the more discriminatory character is the longitudinal band shape which is very thin, while larger in B. opisthotaenia and B. kingsleyae (Ref. 80290).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: reportedly endemic to the Lower Guineawhere it is known from the rivers Ogowe, Ntem and Kribi (Kienke) (Ref. 80290) in Cameroon and Gabon (Ref. 5331, 80290), and from the Kouilou-Niari basin (Ref. 92841). However also reported from the Ngoko (Sangha drainage, middle Congo River basin) in Cameroon (Ref. 42792, 51193).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 42019)
Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 20. Diagnosis: fronto-parietal fontanel absent in adults, sometimes pore-like in juveniles; snout short, more than 3x head lenght; dorsal fin origin slightly behind pelvic fin insertion; sexual dimorphism affecting anal fin shape; head length/snout length 3.4-4.3; 25-28 lateral line scales; 4.5 scales between lateral line and dorsal fin; 9.5-10 predorsal scales; 15-17 anal fin branched rays; 24-28 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch; 8 teeth in outer premaxillary row; humeral spot generally absent but sometimes present; narrow black band on flanks; adults medium-sized (Ref. 80290).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Paugy, D. and S.A. Schaefer, 2007. Alestidae. p. 347-411. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale/The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, west-central Africa. Vol. 1. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Istitut de recherche pour le développement, Paris, France, Muséum nationale d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royale de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique. 800 p. (Ref. 80290)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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=0.01230 (0.00541 - 0.02797), b=2.99 (2.81 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).