''Phenacogrammus aurantiacus'' is a species of freshwater fish in the

African tetra African tetras (family Alestidae, formerly spelled Alestiidae) are a group of characiform fish exclusively found in Africa. This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tiger ...

family. Individuals of the species may reach a length of . The fish has silvery sides with a central broad dark band that starts just behind the gills and runs to the caudal fin. The colour of the band varies greatly in intensity between individuals of the species. It is found in central Africa, in the Kouilou basin within the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

(RotC), and the Ogooué basin (which lies in both Gabon and the RotC). The species also inhabits the middle and upper reaches of the Congo River and associated waterbodies of the

Congo basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

. (The two Congo countries—RotC and

DR Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

—both encompass parts of the Congo river and basin.) The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

assessed ''P.aurantiacus'' in 2009 as being of "least concern" for its '' Red List of Threatened Species''.

References

* Paugy, D. and S.A. Schaefer, 2007. Alestidae. p. 347-411. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) Poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de basse Guinée, ouest de l'Afrique centrale/The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, west-central Africa. Vol. 1. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Istitut de recherche pour le développement, Paris, France, Muséum nationale d'histoire naturelle, Paris, France and Musée royale de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique. 800 p. Alestidae Freshwater fish of Africa Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Fish described in 1903 {{Characiformes-stub