Lake Tanganyika sprat (Stolothrissa tanganicae)

Scientific name: Stolothrissa tanganicae Regan, 1917

Lake Tanganyika sprat (Stolothrissa tanganicae)

The Lake Tanganyika sprat (Stolothrissa tanganicae) is a freshwater fish of the family Clupeidae. Native range: Africa, Endemic to Lake Tanganyika.

Biology

A lacustrine species forming very large schools, the juveniles tending to stay closer to shore than those 5 cm SL or more. Appears to stay below about 60 m by day, rising up to 8-15 m at night, especially on dark nights. Feeds on plankton. Breeds at about 6 cm SL, with ripe individuals present almost throughout the year, but major spawning in May and June and again in December and January. Adults move inshore to breed. The eggs sink slowly.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Stolothrissa tanganicae
Family
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
10.0
Common length
7.0
Depth range
8–60 m (26–197 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 8 - 60 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=1.62-2.66)

Sources

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

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