| Papermouth | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Barbinae |
| Genus: | Enteromius |
| Species: | E. mattozi |
| Binomial name | |
| Enteromius mattozi A. R. P. Guimarães, 1884 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The papermouth (Enteromius mattozi), also known as the silverfish is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius .
The papermouth has a silvery body with orange coloured fins. [2] The dorsal fin is serrated and its scales are marked with radial striations. [3] It grows to a maximum length of 40 cm (16 in) and a weight of 1.4 kg (3.1 lb). [4] The mouth is positioned terminally. [5] It has a protractile mouth. [3]
The papermouth is found in southern and central Africa from the Congo Basin through Angola south to the Limpopo, including the upper Zambezi. It can also be found in artificial impoundments in southern Africa. [4]
The papermouth is a benthopelagic, potamodromous fish which occurs naturally in the larger pools of perennial rivers, which are cooler than the shallows. It is common in artificial lakes such as reservoirs and farm dams and is often introduced into these. It is an actively predatory species, feeding on small planktonic crustaceans and insects when it is juvenile and preying on small fish when adult. It will also feed on the seeds of water lilies, [1] algae and aquatic plants. [6] In turn, the papermouth is a prey species for birds, otters, large catfish and larger conspecifics. After the first summer rains, the papermouth migrates upstream in the flooded rivers to spawn. This species matures at three years old [1] and the oldest recorded fish was 9 years old. [4]
The papermouth is an aggressive fish and this makes it a popular target for anglers and fly fishers [6] and is harvested for human consumption. [1] In some parts of its range it is thought to be declining, [6] but the IUCN class the species as being of "Least Concern", although they note that there are potential threats from pollution and overfishing. [1]
The name Barbus mattozi was originally applied to specimens taken from the Cuanza and Cunene in Angola and Namibia. The specimens taken in the Limpopo were named as Barbus rapax. The status of the papermouth in the Zambezi, where it is a rare species, is uncertain, the species has been widely introduced to dams in Zimbabwe and the specimens taken in the Zambezi may be escapes from these artificially stocked populations. Some authorities, therefore, consider that Enteromius mattozi and Enteromius rapax should be treated as separate species. [3]
The freshwater butterflyfish or African butterflyfish, Pantodon buchholzi, is the only extant species in the family Pantodontidae within the order Osteoglossiformes. It is not closely related to saltwater butterflyfishes.
The African banded barb, Angola barb, blue-barred barb or fire barb is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae.
The African skimmer is a species of bird belonging to the skimmer genus Rynchops in the family Laridae. It is found along rivers, lakes and lagoons in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Enteromius litamba is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It has long been placed in Barbus, the "wastebin genus" for barbs, by default, and this is still being done by the IUCN. However, the species is increasingly being restored by some taxonomists to the related yellowfish genus Labeobarbus, others place it in the genus Enteromius. It is presumably hexaploid like the other yellowfish.
Serranochromis is a genus of relatively large, robust cichlids from freshwater habitats in mainland Southern Africa, ranging as far north as DR Congo and Tanzania, with the highest species richness in the upper Zambezi, Okavango and Congo basins. They are typically known as largemouths or, especially among fishers, breams. Serranochromis are mostly piscivores and they are important in local fisheries.
Synodontis nigromaculatus, known as the spotted squeaker, the blackspotted squeaker, or the speckled squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is found widely in southern Africa. It has been identified in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1905, from specimens collected in Lake Bangweulu in Zambia.
The redeye labeo is a species of fish in the cyprinid genus Labeo. It is a freshwater fish endemic to the rivers of East Africa, from the Zambezi through the Limpopo and Komati Rivers to the Pongola River. It also inhabits upper and middle parts of the Congo River.
Enteromius baudoni is a species of tropical cyprinid freshwater fish from Central and Western Africa. It is found in western Africa, in the river basins of the Chad Basin, the Volta basin, the Niger River basin, the Gambia River basin, the Senegal River basin, the Sassandra River basin, and the Bandama River basin. In central Africa, it is found in the Ubangui River ecosystem. It typically inhabits tropical freshwater ecosystems between 24 and 26 °C. It was originally described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger as Barbus baudoni in 1918, and the holotype, collected from Bangui, Central African Republic, is stored at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. The species was originally classified in the Barbus genus, but was reclassified as belonging to the Enteromius genus in 2015 after examining extensive taxon, geographical, and genomic sampling of the species in the family Cyprinidae.
Enteromius collarti is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius which is only found in Angola.
Enteromius janssensi is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Enteromius brevidorsalis is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius which occurs in southern central Africa in the upper Zambezi basin and nearby rivers.
The redeye barb or Beira barb, is a widespread African species of freshwater cyprinid fish which is found from Uganda south to the Limpopo River and Incomati River systems in South Africa.
Enteromius wellmani is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius which is only found in the upper reaches of the Cuvo River system in Angola.
The chubbyhead barb is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius. The fish is found throughout South Africa in a variety of aquatic environments. The species is notable for its two breeding seasons, which allows it to flourish despite a short lifespan.
The Barotse barb is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius from the southern Congo Basin, Zambezi, Okavango, Cunene and Kafue.
The sickle barb is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius. it gets its common name from the sickle shaped anal fin of mature males, they are normally a translucent brown colour with a spot on the caudal peduncle but in breeding condition the males take on a rosy hue. It is a common and widespread species of swamps and shallow waters, including floodplains, in central Africa from the Congo Basin to the Zambezi. It is harvested commercially for food and for the aquarium trade and in some areas, such as Katanga, pollution may be a threat but it is a common and widespread small fish and is not considered to be globally threatened.
Spotscale barb is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Enteromius which occurs in western central Africa from Cameroon south to Angola.
Sidespot barb is a species of cyprinid fish in the genus Enteromius. It has a disjunct distribution with the northern population in the upper Zambezi, Kafue, and upper Congo River systems in Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, while the southern population is found in the tributaries of the Limpopo River and Steelpoort River. The southern population may be a separate species.
Hydrocynus vittatus, the African tigerfish, tiervis or ngwesh is a predatory freshwater fish distributed throughout much of Africa. This fish is generally a piscivore but it has been observed leaping out of the water and catching barn swallows in flight.
Zambezi bream, also known as dwarf bream, is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is found in river systems in southern Africa.
