Mesoborus crocodilus is a species of distichodontid fish found in the Congo River Basin in Middle Africa. It is the only member of the genus Mesoborus. It reaches up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in standard length.[1] It is a specialized fish-eater (not a fin-eater, as some of the relatives).[2] Mesoborus crocodilus hunts by waiting motionless at the surface and then charges at prey. (ambush predator) the species is listed as least concern when it should be listed as data sufficient due to only 172 sightings. Mesoborus crocodilus is often referred to as the crocodile tetra though is not official.
| Mesoborus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Distichodontidae |
| Genus: | Mesoborus Pellegrin, 1900 |
| Species: | M. crocodilus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mesoborus crocodilus Pellegrin, 1900
| |
References
edit- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Mesoborus crocodilus". FishBase. October 2011 version.
- ^ Lavoué, S.; M.E.Arnegard; D.L. Rabosky; P.B. McIntyre; D. Arcila; R.P. Vari; M. Nishida (2017). Trophic evolution in African citharinoid fishes (Teleostei: Characiformes) and the origin of intraordinal pterygophagy. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 113: 23-32. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.001
 | This Characiformes-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |