Actinopteri (ray-finned fishes) > Characiformes
(Characins) > Distichodontidae
Etymology: Distichodus: Greek, di = two + Greek, stix, stichos = line, row (Ref. 45335). More on author: Peters.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range - m (Ref. ), usually - m (Ref. ). Tropical; 0°C - ; 11°S - 21°S
Africa: Middle and Lower Zambezi, including Lake Kariba, and Pungwe and Buzi rivers in Mozambique (Ref. 52193). Reports from Congo River basin refer to other species of Distichodus (Ref. 96324, 122092).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 57.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52193); max. published weight: 7.6 kg (Ref. 52193)
Inhabits swift flowing water, rapids or quiet, deep, sandy or rocky pools (Ref. 13337). Found only in the mainstream of larger rivers and even in Lake Kariba prefers more riverine habitats; omnivorous, feeds on insects, snails, small fish, and aquatic plants; breeds in summer, moving upstream to suitable sites (Ref. 7248, 52193).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Daget, J. and J.-P. Gosse, 1984. Distichodontidae. p. 184-211. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 1. (Ref. 7094)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 124695)
Threat to humans
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01549 (0.00716 - 0.03351), b=3.05 (2.87 - 3.23), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic level (Ref. 69278
): 3.2 ±0.49 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179
): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100) .