Caecobarbus
Congo blind barb | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cypriniformes |
Family: | Cyprinidae |
Genus: | Caecobarbus Boulenger, 1921 |
Species: | C. geertsi
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Binomial name | |
Caecobarbus geertsi Boulenger, 1921
|
Caecobarbus geertsi, the African blind barb or Congo blind barb (known as Nzonzi a mpofo in the local
Despite its common name, "African blind barb", other blind cave cyprinids are indigenous to Africa, notably the Somalian
Range
The Congo blind barb is found only in the
Conservation
In the seven caves where first discovered, the total population has been estimated at perhaps 7,000 individuals in the 1950s; no estimates are available for the seven more recently discovered populations.
Appearance
Like other
Behavior
The Congo blind barb mainly relies on food items that flow into the cave during the rainy (flood) season, but it may also feed on small crustaceans.[3] Its longevity is estimated to be 9–14 years, but it may be able to live longer.[5] It is slow-growing and likely has a slow reproduction rate.[3] The adhesive eggs are spawned freely, ending up in crevices and pores in the bottom, which protects them from predation.[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ ISBN 978-2-8317-1345-8.
- ^ "Caecobarbus geertsi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2017). "Caecobarbus geertsi" in FishBase. July 2017 version.
- ISBN 978-2-9527084-0-1.
- S2CID 6369970.