Petrocephalus Balayi
📖 Overview
Petrocephalus Balayi (Petrocephalus balayi) is a ray-finned fish of the family Mormyridae. It inhabits freshwater waters in benthic environments. This species can reach a maximum total length of 11 cm. With a trophic level of 3.2, it is a low-level carnivore, feeding on invertebrates and small organisms. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Petrocephalus balayi is distinguished from all other Petrocephalus species in Central Africa by the following combination of characteristics: dorsal fin with 20-22 branched rays, anal fin with 26 or 27 branched rays, eye small (HL/ED=4,5-4,9), mouth very wide, associated with a very characteristic head shape when viewed from below, 14 teeth or more in the upper jaw, 28 teeth or more in the lower jaw . Melanin pattern consisting of the following: (1) a distinct black round mark on each side of the body below dorsal fin origin; (2) an ovoid mark on each side at the base of the caudal peduncle, not extending onto the upper and lower parts of the caudal fin; (3) a black mark, sometimes diffuse but always present, at the base of the pectoral fins .: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Petrocephalus Balayi is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 50 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Petrocephalus Balayi ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.