Taxonomy & naming
Ichthyborus besse was described by de Joannis in 1835 and sits in the genus Ichthyborus, within the family Distichodontidae, order Characiformes. Distichodontidae is an entirely African family that also includes the plant- and algae-grazing genus Distichodus and the citharinids; Ichthyborus is one of several distichodontid lineages that evolved the opposite lifestyle from its herbivorous relatives, specializing instead as a fin- and scale-eating predator of other fish — a feeding strategy (pterygophagy and lepidophagy) that has arisen more than once within African citharinoid characiforms according to phylogenetic work on the group.
The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, California Academy of Sciences) is the governing authority for the valid name and combination; nothing in the cached sources for this species suggests a synonymy or recombination worth flagging here, and the genus placement is treated as stable. The genus name itself signals the fish's biology at a glance, as set out under Etymology below. The name Ichthyborus congolensis is treated as a synonym of this species in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes.
Morphology
Ichthyborus besse reaches a maximum recorded length of about 10 in total length, a modest size compared with the true piranhas it is sometimes loosely compared to on account of its predatory habits. It has the elongated, laterally compact body plan typical of the genus — a shape suited to shadowing and darting in on other fish rather than an ambush strike — with a pointed head and a mouth built for a quick, precise bite rather than for engulfing prey whole.
Specifics on colour pattern and fin shape were not returned by the cached sources for this species; the aquarium literature on the better-documented congener I. ornatus describes a similarly built, actively fin-nipping fish, which is consistent with the feeding ecology described for I. besse in the scientific literature, but that detail should not be read across as confirmed for besse itself without a dedicated source.
Habitat
The species is native to Africa, recorded from the White Nile basin, the Chad basin and the Benue River — a spread that places it firmly in the warm river systems of north-central Africa rather than the classic Congo blackwater usually associated with African characins. FishBase describes its habitat as open water and fringing vegetation within tropical freshwater river systems, which fits a fish that needs both room to shadow prey and cover to stage an approach.
Detailed water-chemistry data (temperature range, pH) for this specific species were not present in the cached sources, so none is asserted here; as a warm-water African river fish from the Nile, Chad and Benue systems it should be kept in stable tropical conditions rather than the soft, strongly acidic blackwater sometimes assumed for Congolese characins, but a specific range is not stated to avoid guessing beyond the record.
Feeding
Ichthyborus is documented in the scientific literature as a piscivorous fin- and scale-eater: research into trophic evolution among African citharinoid fishes places the genus among the distichodontid lineages that feed on the fins, scales and, at times, whole bodies of other fish, targeting a range of species including, at times, its own kind. FishBase's summary for I. besse specifically notes a diet of small crustaceans (Caridina shrimp) and fish fry, which together with the genus-level pterygophagy research paints a picture of an opportunistic predator that will rasp fins and scales as well as take small whole prey.
This is a materially different feeding strategy from the algae- and plant-grazing habits of its distichodontid relative Distichodus, and it is the single most important fact for anyone considering the species for a community tank: this is a fin-and-scale eater, not a grazer, and tankmates should be chosen with that firmly in mind (see "In the aquarium").
Mating
No courtship or pairing behaviour for Ichthyborus besse was returned by the cached sources, and none is invented here. Distichodontids in general — including the better-known Distichodus — are not known for elaborate pair-bonding or nest-building; egg-scattering with no parental investment in courtship display is the pattern across most of the family, but that should be read as family-level context rather than a confirmed account of this species specifically.
Breeding
There is no documented aquarium or scientific breeding account for Ichthyborus besse in the cached sources, and none should be assumed. Its relatives among the distichodontids and citharinids — including Distichodus — are egg-scatterers that are rarely if ever bred successfully at home, and Ichthyborus besse should be treated the same way: a species essentially unbred in the hobby, with reproduction in the wild presumably following the open-water egg-scattering pattern typical of the family but without a documented, citable account to confirm it for this species. Prospective keepers should not expect to breed this fish.
In the aquarium
Ichthyborus besse is a genuine tankmate hazard rather than a peaceful oddball: as a documented fin- and scale-eater, it will target the fins and scales of other fish sharing its tank, and the aquarium account for its congener I. ornatus independently confirms a reputation for aggressive fin-nipping in captivity. At a modest adult size of around 10 in it does not need the enormous quarters a pacu or wolf fish would, but tank size still needs to comfortably house an active, elongated predator with room to patrol.
Because its feeding strategy is specifically built around damaging other fish's fins and scales, this is not a species to mix casually with long-finned or slow-moving tankmates; the safest approach mirrors how solitary or semi-solitary fin-nipping predators are generally kept — either alone, with robust, fast, short-finned species that are not easy nipping targets, or in a species-only setup. Given how little is documented about its husbandry specifically, keepers should treat published care information for this species as sparse and proceed cautiously rather than relying on assumptions carried over from other African characins.
Conservation
Ichthyborus besse is assessed by the IUCN Red List as Least Concern, with no critical conservation concerns reported for the species. It occupies a broad range across the White Nile, Chad and Benue river systems, which likely supports that assessment by spreading any localized pressure across a wide area rather than concentrating it in a single vulnerable watershed.
No information on trade volume, wild-collection pressure or population trend was returned by the cached sources, so none is asserted here; the species does not appear to be a significant feature of the aquarium trade, and general pressures facing north-central African river systems — damming, water extraction and habitat modification — are relevant long-term watch items for the region even though the species itself is not currently classified as threatened.