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💧 Freshwater Least Concern 🍽️ Edible 🎣 Game Fish ⚡ Other 🌡️ Tropical

Eastern bottlenose mormyrid

Mormyrus longirostris Peters, 1852
Max Length
75 cm
Max Weight
10.0 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.3
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
47.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Found in caves and muddy areas, also hides among weeds . Favours quiet deep water with a soft muddy bottom . Forms shoals . Feeds on weeds and insects but may also feed on small fishes and fish eggs , blood worms , small crustaceans and mollusks . Active mainly at night; breeds during the rainy season, moving upstream in rivers after flood spates have receded . Migrations appears to occur at irregular interval as this fish is not a powerful swimmer and would not be able to cope with very high water current . Females carry 10,000-70,000 eggs; can give a mild shock when caught .

Scientific Name
Mormyrus longirostris
Authority
Peters, 1852
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
75 cm
Max Weight
10 kg
Trophic Level
3.3
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
47.00/100
Migration
Potamodromous
Salinity
0–0.5 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Teleostei
Order
Osteoglossiformes
Osteoglossiformes
Family
Mormyridae
Mormyridae
Genus
Mormyrus
Mormyrus
Species
Eastern bottlenose mormyrid
Mormyrus longirostris

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 65 - 75; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 19. Diagnosis: dorsal fin greater than twice the length of anal fin; dorsal origin nearer tip of snout than caudal fin base; snout 2-2.5 times in head length; caudal peduncle less than 4 times in standard length . : fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Eastern bottlenose mormyrid is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
34cm TL

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous. Tropical; 11°S - 21°S known from the Ruvuma and Rufiji rivers in Tanzania (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater ⬇️ Benthic
Migration
Potamodromous
Trophic Level
3.3±0.46
Food Items

weeds (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.01259 × L2.89 (TL)
Max TL
75cm
Max Weight
10,000g
Dorsal Rays
70
Anal Rays
18

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
0–0.5ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2018

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
47.00/100
Moderate-High vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.3
Predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Peters, 1852

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Eastern bottlenose mormyrid is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

⚡ Nutrition

Detailed nutritional data for Eastern bottlenose mormyrid is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Eastern bottlenose mormyrid has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact
✓ Sustainable Choice

🔬 Full Nutritional Profile

Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)

Proximate Composition
Energy125 kcal
Moisture75 %
Protein20 %
Total Fat4 %
Ash1.3 %
Fatty Acids (g)
Saturated Fat1 g
Monounsaturated Fat1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat1.5 g
Omega-3 Total1 g
EPA0.3 g
DHA0.5 g
Omega-6 Total0.3 g
Key Minerals & Vitamins
Calcium20 mg
Iron0.7 mg
Magnesium30 mg
Phosphorus220 mg
Potassium380 mg
Sodium55 mg
Zinc0.5 mg
Selenium32 µg
Vitamin B122 µg

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English amalompi · bottle-nose · Eastern Bottlenose · eastern bottlenose mormyrid · Elephant-snout · hotama
🌍AFR Oostelike Bottelneus · Oostelike-bottelneus
🌍CES Rypoun Dlouhorypý
🌍SWA Domodomo

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Mormyros longirostris Peters 1852 Synonym
Mormyrus mucupe Peters 1852 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 53 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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