All FishesAmphiliidaeLeptoglaninaeZaireichthys  |  | 

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Scientific Name Zaireichthys kafuensis  Eccles, Tweddle & Skelton, 2011
Common Name
Type Locality Kafue River at Iolanda, 15°45'S, 28°15'E, just upstream of head of Kafue Gorge, south of Lusaka, Zambia.
Pronunciation za eer ICK thiss
Etymology Zaireichthys: From the Zaire river and the Greek ichthys, meaning fish; in reference to the type of the genus and its collection locality. The specific name refers to the river system (Kafue) in which the types were collected.
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 24mm or 0.9" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification The majority of species are small and compact, have a defense mechanism of three ossified spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins,being able to lock them into place which makes the genus different from all other Amphiliidae.

Yellowish, head darker dorsally. Area between the dorsal fin and the humeral process closely peppered with very small spots,these spots continue towards the rear on lateral and dorsal surfaces with the spots becoming progressively larger and more widely spaced. Dark patches at base of dorsal and origin of adipose fins forming part of a series of about nine indistinct darker patches on dorsal surface. A series of 10–12 distinct darker patches mid-laterally. Dorsal fin with indistinct dark bar at level of tip of spine. Caudal with a dark crescentic bar basally and an indistinct bar towards the end of the fin.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Known from the Kafue River above Kafue Gorge, Zambia.

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IUCN Red List Category Not Evaluated
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Furniture In nature the majority of species are found over or in sand in flowing rivers. There is one known lake dwelling species from Lake Malawi which is also found over sand and living in snail shells.
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Smithiana, Publications in Aquatic Biodiversity, Bulletin No. 13, pp 8, Figs. 3G, 7.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2019 Oct 26 06:40 (species record created: 2011 Sep 23 20:16)