Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: River Ruo and several of its tributaries above Zoa Falls in Malawi.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 33082); max. published weight: 400.00 g (Ref. 33082)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Its dark olive dorsal surface and light golden ventral surface are sharply divided at the lower edge of the lateral line scale row. Its has relatively narrow mouth without barbels or with one pair of minute posterior barbels. The unbranched dorsal ray is flexible.
Occurs in fast flowing stretches of river and deeper pools. Common particularly in rocky pools. Feeds by scraping algae off rocks with its horny lower jaw. Varicorhinus xyrocheilus occurs sympatrically and syntopically with V. dimidiatus.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Tweddle, D. and P.H. Skelton, 1998. Two new species of Varicorhinus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the Ruo River, Malawi, Africa, with a review of other southern African Varicorhinus species. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 8(4):369-384. (Ref. 33082)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
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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=0.00955 (0.00430 - 0.02123), b=3.02 (2.84 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (20 of 100).
