Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfish) >
Mochokidae (Squeakers or upside-down catfishes)
Etymology: Microsynodontis: Greek, mikros = small + Greek, synodon = with the teeth growing all together (Ref. 45335); laevigata: Species name from the Latin laevigatus, meaning smooth; in reference to the smooth anterior edge of the pectoral spine (Ref. 52369).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical, preferred ?
Africa: Ivindo River, Gabon (Ref. 52369).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52369)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 2;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 5-6;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 10 - 11;
Vertebrae: 33 - 35. Body compressed (Ref. 52369). Predorsal profile steep; postdorsal body sloping gently ventrally (Ref. 52369). Head depressed and broad, broadly rounded when viewed laterally and with rounded snout margin when viewed from above (Ref. 52369). Eye ovoid, horizontal axis longest (Ref. 52369). Mouth inferior and crescent-shaped; lips plicate (Ref. 52369). Barbels in three pairs; maxillary barbel long and slender, extending to just beyond base of last pectoral-fin ray; inner mandibular-barbel origin close to midline, extending to base of pectoral spine and with 2 short, thin branches on anterior half and 3-4 long, thin branches on posterior half; outer mandibular barbel originates posterolateral of inner mandibular barbel, extending to middle of pectoral-fin base and with 3-4 long, thin branches (Ref. 52369). Gill openings narrow, extending from immediately ventral to posttemporal to immediately ventral to base of pectoral spine (Ref. 52369). Dorsal fin located at anterior third of body, with convex margin; dorsal-fin spine short, stout and slightly curved, smooth on both anterior and posterior margins (Ref. 52369). Adipose fin moderately long; margin slightly convex for entire length and posterior end deeply incised (Ref. 52369). Caudal fin truncate, with i,6,5,i principal rays (Ref. 52369). Anal-fin base located ventral to posterior half of adipose fin, with iv,6-7 rays and convex margin (Ref. 52369). Pelvic fin origin at verticalventral to posterior end of dorsal-fin base, with slightly convex margin (Ref. 52369). Pectoral-fin spine slightly curved and stout; anterior spine margin smooth along entire length of spine; posterior spine margin with 7-8 strong serrations along entire length (Ref. 52369). Lateral line complete and midlateral (Ref. 52369). Dorsal and lateral surfaces of head and body medium brown, fading to cream on belly and ventral surfaces; medium-sized brown spots evenly scattered over ventral surfaces (Ref. 52369). Snout with a series of cream spots delineating anterior and posterior nares; cheek region with numerous small cream spots ventral and posterior to orbit; cream band encircling nape at supraoccipital (Ref. 52369). Dorsal third of body with series of four cream irregular blotches extending short of lateral midline of body: first at middle of dorsal-fin base, second at adipose-fin origin, third at middle of adipose-fin base and last on caudal peduncle immediately posterior to adipose fin (Ref. 52369). Ventral third of flanks with a series of irregular cream blotches (Ref. 52369). Dorsal, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins hyaline and sometimes with one to two rows of faint spots forming longitudinal brown rows; caudal fin hyaline, with elongate brown spots forming two to three irregular columns (Ref. 52369).
Found in a small, shallow blackwater creek, with extremely low water; the substrate being sand and leaf litter, with the area having undergo severe human disturbance (Ref. 52369).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Ng, H.H., 2004. The Microsynodontis (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Mochokidae) of the lower Guinea region, west central Africa, with the description of eight new species. Zootaxa 531:1-52. (Ref. 52369)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5002 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01318 (0.00590 - 0.02944), b=2.96 (2.77 - 3.15), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100) .
