Home · Cyprinidae · Moore's minnow
Moore's minnow (Raiamas moorii) — Cyprinidae

Moore's minnow

Raiamas moorii
Family: Cyprinidae
LC · Least Concern

The Moore's minnow (Raiamas moorii) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae that grows up to 22 cm.

Length
22 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

Moore's minnow is a slender, fast predatory cyprinid relative of the family Danionidae reaching about 22 cm. The streamlined, silvery body has a large mouth and bears a row of bluish cross-blotches or bars along the flank. The species comes from the fresh water of Central Africa, especially the Congo and Tanganyika basins, and lives in fast schools in clear, flowing rivers and along lake shores. Just below the surface it hunts insects that fall on the water and small fish. In the rainy season it spawns. With its slender, fast build it is an active predator of flowing water and a locally valued small food fish.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Moore's minnow?

The Moore's minnow has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Moore's minnow live?

The Moore's minnow lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Moore's minnow get?

The Moore's minnow grows to a maximum of about 22 cm.

Is the Moore's minnow dangerous to humans?

No, the Moore's minnow is harmless to humans.

Is the Moore's minnow edible?

Yes, the Moore's minnow is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Moores karperzalm inferred
English name
Moore's minnow verified
Scientific name
Raiamas moorii
Family
Cyprinidae
Other names
Moore's minnow verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
22.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped verified
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater verified
Substrate
Open water verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Schooling verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten verified
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Raiamas

More from the family Cyprinidae

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