Alestes macrophthalmus Günther, 1867
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Alestes macrophthalmus, commonly known as the torpedo robber, ablette, or silversides (a name shared with other Alestes), is a species of freshwater fish belonging to the family Alestidae, the African characins or African tetras. It was described in 1867 from a holotype now deposited in the Natural History Museum, London. Alestes macrophthalmus measures up to 60 cm (24 in) standard length, and weigh up to 2 to 2.5 kg (4.4 to 5.5 lb); it is the largest species of Alestes. The body is silvery in general, with a blueish to greenish back and white belly; an example of countershading. The torpedo robber possesses adipose eyelids and a subtle sexual dimorphism visible in the shape of their anal fin, like various other alestids. They lack spines on its fins, though some sources state 3 spines are present on the anal fin.
Wikipedia contributors, Alestes macrophthalmus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T18:58:25.577264+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Alestes macrophthalmus Günther, 1867
- Name authority
- Günther, 1867
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Characiformes
- Family
- Alestidae
- Genus
- Alestes
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCharaciformes
- suborderCharacoidei
- familyAlestidae Cockerell, 1910
- genusAlestes Müller & Troschel, 1844
- speciesAlestes macrophthalmus Günther, 1867
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Alestes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Alestes baremoze (Joannis, 1835) | AlestidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alestes dentex (Linnaeus, 1758) | AlestidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alestes inferus Stiassny, Schelly & Mamonekene, 2009 | AlestidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alestes liebrechtsii Boulenger, 1898 | AlestidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Alestes macrophthalmus tanganicae Hoedeman, 1951 Hoedeman, 1951 | synonym |
| Alestes macropthalmus Günther, 1867 Günther, 1867 | synonym |
| Alestes macrophthalmus tanganiica Hoedeman, 1951 Hoedeman, 1951 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Günther, A. (1989). New fishes from the Gaboon and Gold Coast. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), v. 20 (no. 116) (art. 15): 110–117, Pls. 2–3. [Also as a separate, pp. 1–8. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:BP8N. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.