Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) >
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Etymology: Marcusenius: Becasue of J. Marcusen, author of "Zur Phauna des Schwarzen Meeres", 1867; ichthyologist; multisquamatus: Marcusenius multisquamatus refers to the highest number of lateral line scales among the different forms of southern African bulldog fish, excluding the three Mossamedes/Cunene specimens (BMNH 1907.6.29.231–233) from any location on the Cunene up to 300 km north of the Angolan/Namibian border (Ref. 94473).
Eponymy: Dr Johann Andreas Marcusen (1817–1894) was a Latvian of German descent who was a physician, ichthyologist and zoologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 17°S - 18°S, 13°E - 14°E
Africa: Kunene River, from just below Ruacana Falls to the Cunene River mout on the Angolan/Namibian border (Ref. 94473).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94473)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23 - 25; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 28 - 31. Diagnosis: Body moderately long, prominent mobile and forward-extending mental lobe on lower jaw, median fins set well back with dorsal fin shorter than and originating behind anal fin, depth of caudal peduncle 34–43% of its length, 23–25 dorsal fin rays, 28–31 anal fin rays, 56–64 scales in lateral series, 12–16 scales around caudal peduncle, head length 19–21% of standard length, body depth 27–32% of standard length, dorsal fin length 18.1–22.3% of standard length, length of snout 45–50% of head length, anal fin length 22.7–25.3% of standard length, and length of caudal peduncle 16.3–19.9% of standard length (Ref. 94473).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kramer, B. and M. Wink, 2013. East-west differentiation in the Marcusenius macrolepidotus species complex in Southern Africa: the description of a new species for the lower Cunene River, Namibia (Teleostei: Mormyridae). J. Nat. Hist. 47(35-36):2327-2362. (Ref. 94473)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
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=0.00562 (0.00244 - 0.01296), b=3.05 (2.85 - 3.25), 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
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (15 of 100).
