| Family: |
Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Max. size: |
11.2 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater, |
| Distribution: |
Africa: endemic to Lake Barombi-Mbo, Cameroon (Ref. 81260). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 15-16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 9-10. Diagnosis: snout pointed; mouth at an angle of about 20-30° with the horizontal (Ref. 53940, 81260). Teeth usually only in 2 series (Ref. 53940). Lower pharyngeal bone very slender with a relatively long blade (Ref. 53940), markedly longer than wide (Ref. 81260). Lower jaw with a slight mental process; can always be recognised when freshly caught by the blood that swells the capillaries, especially at the bases of the fins, and oozes over the surface, staining its silvery color; no dark markings on body of freshly caught specimens; 2-5 dark blotches appear between upper lateral line and dorsal fin, and sometimes also a vague dark stripe at the level of the horizontal myoseptum, in preserved specimens (Ref. 53940).
Description: relatively robust (body depth 36.5-40.0% SL); interorbital width 23.5-28.3% HL (Ref. 81260). Frontal profile straight (Ref. 51307, 81260). Snout pointed (Ref. 52307, 53940). Mouth at an angle of about 20-30° with the horizontal (Ref. 53940, 81260). Teeth usually only in 2 series (Ref. 53940, 81260), outer row of upper jaw with 45-66 fine, obliquely spatulate bicuspid teeth, inner rows tricuspid (Ref. 81260). Scales on cheek in 2 series, usually expanding to 3 on the anterior part (Ref. 53940). Lower pharyngeal bone very slender with a relatively long blade (Ref. 53940, 81260). Lower jaw with a slight mental process; microbranchiospines present on outer sides of second, third and fourth arches (Ref. 53940). Gill rakers small (Ref. 81260).
Coloration: dorsal lappets black-tipped; no tilapia mark (Ref. 53940). Freshly caught: body silvery; fins tinged watery yellow; snout dark (Ref. 53940, 81260). Preserved: 2-5 dark blotches appear between upper lateral line and dorsal fin, and sometimes also a vague dark stripe at the level of the horizontal myoseptum (Ref. 53940, 81260). Faint traces of 8-10 vertical bars on upper half of body in specimens of 6-7cm SL (Ref. 53940). Body brownish; cheeks and opercles sometimes appear bronze; thin, black horizontal band occasionally visible on caudal peduncle (Ref. 52307). |
| Biology: |
Mainly feeds on mosquito larvae; possesses elevated levels of hemoglobin in its blood as an adaptation to reduced oxygen levels at great water depth; possibly an ovophilic
mouth brooder that does not pair-bond (Ref. 52307). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
| Country info: |
|
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.