Brycinus imberi

Brachyalestes imberi has a fusiform body with cycloid scales. It is silver in colouration, though darker on the back and lighter on the belly. It has a black humeral spot and a black spot at the base of the caudal fin that may extend into the fin's rays. The colour of the fins varies by locality but can be yellow, red, black, or brown. The premaxilla has two rows of eight teeth each. There are 21–31 scales on the lateral line, 4.5 scales above the lateral line, and 3.5 scales below it. The anal fin has 14–18 rays, and the fish has 16–20 gill rakers. It reaches up to 19.8 cm (7.8 in) in total length and 300 g (11 oz).

Brachyalestes imberi is widely distributed in West, East, and Southern Africa. It can be found in the nations of Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It inhabits bodies of water including Lake Malawi, Lake Chilwa, Lake Chiuta, Lake Rukwa, Lake Kariba, and the Shire, Mono, Nipoué, Malagarasi, Rusizi, Phongolo, Limpopo, Rufiji, Ruvuma, Wami, Quanza, Nyanga, Cunene, and middle and lower Zambezi rivers, as well as throughout the Congo Basin. Brachyalestes imberi inhabits shallow waters in swampy bays of lakes and rivers with a pH of 6.0–6.5. A demersal fish, it lives near the bottom of the water column. It prefers rocky or sandy substrates.

Brachyalestes imberi feeds on insects, fishes, crustaceans, and vegetation. It is preyed upon by tigerfish. During the summer rainy season, it migrates to floodplains to spawn. Its lifespan is up to five years.