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Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline (Potamothrissa obtusirostris) — Clupeidae

Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline

Potamothrissa obtusirostris
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline (Potamothrissa obtusirostris) is a freshwater fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 6 cm.

Length
6 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The blunt-jawed sprat is a small freshwater herring of the family Clupeidae from the Congo basin in Central Africa. The species grows to only about 6 cm and has a slender, silvery body with a blunt snout, typical of herrings. It lives in rivers and brooks, probably not in lakes, and forms schools in open water. As a plankton feeder it feeds on zooplankton and small invertebrates. As an abundant prey fish it is an important link in the food web of the rivers. Owing to its small size the species has little direct fishery value and is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline?

The Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline live?

The Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline get?

The Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline grows to a maximum of about 6 cm.

Is the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline dangerous to humans?

No, the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline is harmless to humans.

Is the Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline edible?

The Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stompsnuit-Congosprot sourced
English name
Bluntnosed sawtooth pellonuline verified
Scientific name
Potamothrissa obtusirostris
Family
Clupeidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
6.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Potamothrissa

More from the family Clupeidae

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