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Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Characiformes (Characins) > Alestidae (African tetras)
Etymology: Micralestes: Greek, mikros = small + Greek,lestes = thief (Ref. 45335). More on author: Boulenger.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 25. Tropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 2060), preferred ?

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Africa: widely distributed in the Congo basin (Ref. 42032). Also found in the Bénoué, Chad (Ref. 81279), Cross (Ref. 80290, 81279), Malaba and Cubango in Angola (Ref. 5331), and the Zambezi River (Ref. 5331, 80290). Report from Lake Tanganyika (Ref. 80290) needs confirmation; in the Lukuga River only known downstream of Niemba (Ref. 36901, 42032).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2880)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 22. Diagnosis: lateral line always complete, 24-27 (Ref. 80290) or 27-30 (Ref. 81279) lateral line scales. Anal fin with 3 unbranched and 15-18 (Ref. 80290) or 14-19 (Ref. 81279) branched rays. 10-15 (Ref. 80290) or 10-14 (Ref. 81279) gill rakers on lower part of first branchial arch. 6/8 premaxillary teeth; fins colorless or, at most, pinkish; tip of dorsal fin hyaline (Ref. 2880, 81279), no black apical tip (Ref. 80290). Scales of flank with melanophores concentrated on basal margin (Ref. 80290).

Affinities: M. humilis is most similar and possibly conspecific with M. stormsi Boulenger, 1902, and M. sardina Poll, 1938; apart from coloration, it is distinguished from latter two species on the basis of slight differences in overlapping features (see Ref. 80290).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

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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. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: ; aquarium: commercial

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Micralestes humilis Boulenger, 1899