WELCOME TO OPEFE ARCHIVESSubfamily Ichthyoborinae
genus Phago
Pike Characin
FROM FRANK MAGALLANES
I will be discussing only the species Phago loricatus which was known to me originally as Phago maculatus is very nasty little predator, Phago locatus is a fin-biter found in Africa. There are 3 or 4 species of Phago growing to about 160 mm SL and have unique teeth that are compressed and tricuspid, very trenchant and set close together. This structure of teeth allows them to cut the fins of other, sometimes, larger fishes. Their "beak" resembles scissors which move upward when the mandible goes down.
Their body are pike-like along with their other relatives in genera Eugnathichthys, Belonophago, Icthyoborus, and Phago. Another peculiarity of Phago is the scales, which are rugose, with a median spine forming a sort of longitudinal crest, giving somewhat the aspect of the osseous plates of a seahorse.
The species have a fusiform body shape, their fins are barred as in most other genera, and their elongate body is usually spotted. A 10 gallon aquarium should be sufficient for this little monster. They will kill (or at least fin-nip to death) any fish placed into the aquarium with them. They kill largely for sport. Found in West Africa in the Niger River this fish is best kept alone as a single species. The temperature requirements are 72° F to 82°F. They are not sexually dimorphic. They require live food or they will not survive in the home aquarium. They quickly starve to death if not kept well-fed.
Not a suitable fish for the beginner.
Phago loricatus
syn: Phago maculatus
Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal soft rays: 8 – 9. Body depth 6.5-8.7x SL, head length 3.7-4.5x SL. Head 2.9-3.8 x longer than wide. Eye 4-5.3x, snout 2.4-2.8x head length. Anterior cuspid of external bicuspid row well developed, internal conical row smaller than external row of teeth. Caudal peduncle 6.1-8.6 x longer than high. Thick scales vertically elongated. 3-5 vertical black stripes on dorsal formed by small black spots. 2-3 brown-black oblique stripes on caudal fin. Sides uniformly colored or marked with vertical spots on lateral line generally joint on posterior end. Feeds on large insects and fish
CURRENT SPECIES LIST AND DISTRIBUTION - 2007
|
Phago boulengeri Schilthuis, 1891 Kinshasa, Stanley Pool, upper Congo R, near Brazzaville, Zaire |
Phago intermedius Boulenger, 1899 Africa: Congo basin |
Phago loricatus Günther, 1865 Africa: basins Lower Niger, Bénoué, Ouémé, Ogun and Wouri |
REFERENCES
Magallanes, Frank, OPEFE Research Files; 1982-2000 Not for Public Review.
Géry, Jacques, 1977 Characoids of the World, TFH Publications Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
Axelrod, H.R. and Schultz, L. P. 1990 Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fishes, TFH Publications Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
Ahl, E. 1922 (30 Jan.) Phago maculatus sp. n. Blätt. Aquar. Terrarienkunde v. 33 (no. 2): 23-25 [1-3].
Wilkens, H. 1977 Die Typen der Ichthyologischen Sammlung des Zoologischen Instituts und Zoologischen Museums der Universität Hamburg (ZMH). Mitt. Hamb. Zool. Mus. Inst. v. 74: 155-163.
Paepke, H.-J. 1995 Über das Leben und Werk von Ernst Ahl. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin v. 71 (no. 1): 79-101.
Ahl, E. 1923 (8 May) Ichthyologische Mitteilungen. Zool. Anz. v. 56: 181-185.
Daget, J. and J.-P. Gosse 1984 (Feb.) Distichodontidae (pp. 184-211). In: Daget et al. 1984 [ref. 6168]. Cloffa v. 1.
Lévêque, C., D. Paugy and G. G. Teugels (eds.) 1990 Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Collection Faune tropicale no. XXVIII. MRAC (Tervuren)/ORSTOM (Paris). Faune Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtre Afr. Ouest v. 1: 1-384.
Boulenger, G. A. 1899 (Sept.) Matériaux pour la faune du Congo. Zoologie.--Série I. Poissons nouveaux du Congo. Quatrième Partie. Polyptères, Clupes, Mormyres, Characins. Ann. Mus. Congo (Ser. Zool.) v. 1 (fasc. 4): 59-96, Pls. 30-39.
Günther, A. 1865 (1 Mar.) Description of a new characinoid genus of fish from West Africa. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (Ser. 3) v. 15 (no. 86): 209-210, Pl. 5. [Also as a separate, pp. 1-2.]
Lévêque, C., D. Paugy and G. G. Teugels (eds.) 1990 Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Collection Faune tropicale no. XXVIII. MRAC (Tervuren)/ORSTOM (Paris). Faune Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtre Afr. Ouest v. 1: 1-384.
Schilthuis, L. 1891. On a collection of fishes from the Congo; with description of some new species. Tijdschr. Ned. Dierk. Ver. Ser. 2 83-92
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