Citharidium ansorgii Boulenger, 1902
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
Citharidium is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Citharinidae, the lutefishes. The only species in this genus is Citharidium ansorgii which is found in the Niger River basin in Nigeria. They reportedly may also be found in Cameroon. Its conservation status is of the least concern. The only known threats which could negatively affect the population of this species are oil studies in the Lower Delta and potential impact of the invasive water hyacinth in the inland delta.
The average length of unsexed males is about 58.6 cm (23.1 in). The heaviest recorded specimen of this species weighed 9.1 kg (20 lb).
Citharidium ansorgii can be found in fresh water at demersal water depths, in tropical climates. This species is known for migrating upstream for spawning.
The species is named in honor of explorer William John Ansorge (1850-1913), who collected the specimen type.
Wikipedia contributors, Citharidium; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:21:32.387820+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Citharidium ansorgii Boulenger, 1902
- Name authority
- Boulenger, 1902
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Characiformes
- Family
- Citharinidae
- Genus
- Citharidium
- 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
- suborderCitharinoidei
- familyCitharinidae Günther, 1864
- genusCitharidium Boulenger, 1902
- speciesCitharidium ansorgii Boulenger, 1902
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Citharidium ansorgei Boulenger, 1902 Boulenger, 1902 | 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.
- Boulenger, G. A. (1902). Description of a new characinid fish discovered by Dr. W. J. Ansorge in southern Nigeria. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 7), v. 9 (no. 50) (art. 25): 144–145, Pl. 3. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930208678557 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:VM7B. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.