Microstomatichthyoborus

Microstomatichthyoborus is a genus with 2 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Piranhas & Pacus section, recorded from Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo. Adult sizes run from 2 in to 2.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
2
Adult sizes
2–2.5 in
IUCN assessed
2 of 2
Recorded from
2 countries

About the genus

Microstomatichthyoborus is a genus of small predatory characins in family Distichodontidae, the African group whose unwieldy name reflects a small mouth paired with fish-eating habits. The two atlas species, M. bashforddeani and M. katangae, are known from the Congo River basin, with atlas records from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, and are small fish at 2–2.5 in. Distichodontid predators in this group typically have an elongated body and a jaw built for lunging at prey or nipping the fins and scales of other fish, rather than the herbivorous grazing habit of better-known relatives such as Distichodus.

This is a genus with essentially no presence in the aquarium trade - it is known almost entirely from scientific collections and regional ichthyological surveys of Congo basin rivers rather than fish stores. Both atlas species are assessed as Least Concern, so there is no current conservation concern on record, though as with much of the Congo basin's characin fauna, detailed population data are limited outside targeted research expeditions.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 2

The 2 species

Every Microstomatichthyoborus recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Nichols & Griscom, 1917

2.5 in SL · LC

David & Poll, 1937

2 in TL · LC

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Microstomatichthyoborus. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/microstomatichthyoborus/

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