Cornish jack (Mormyrops anguilloides)

Scientific name: Mormyrops anguilloides Linnaeus, 1758

Cornish jack (Mormyrops anguilloides)

The Cornish jack (Mormyrops anguilloides) is a freshwater fish of the family Mormyridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–24°C (72–75°F).

Cornish jack care at a glance

Temperature
22–24°C (72–75°F)

Biology

Juveniles occur in marginal habitats, adults prefer deep quiet water between boulders and below overhangs, away from strong currents; also occurs beneath Salvinia mats and in river estuaries in Lake Kariba; juveniles prey on invertebrates, mainly shrimps and insect larvae; larger individuals feed on small cichlids, minnows and labeos; may live for 8 years or more; breeds in summer during the rainy season; mature females carry 25000 or more eggs. A fractional spawner. Affinities: M. breviceps.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Mormyrops anguilloides
Family
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Order
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
150
Environment
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: White Nile, Lake Albert basin, inland waters from Senegal to Chad, rivers in Cameroon, small coastal basins in the Guinean zone. Widespread in the Congo basin, Lake Malawi, Tanganyika and Mobuto. Volta basin, Whebi Shebeli and Juba (as Mormyrops deliciosus). In southern Africa, it is restricted to the middle and lower Zambezi, Buzi, and Pungwe River.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.08-0.12; tm > 8)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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