| Family: |
Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Max. size: |
9.31 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Africa: southwestern Gabon including the Nyanga, and western Republic of Congo including the Loeme and Kouilou-Niari basins (Ref. 81260). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 13-15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 6-8. Diagnosis: 15-20 gill rakers on first gill arch; no large spots on flanks; 4-6 bands or 2 rows of dark blotches and short horizontal lines usually visible when stressed; body depth 29.5-40.6%, mean 34.1% SL; lachrymal depth greater than 21% HL; base body colouration grey-brown; caudal fin rounded in both sexes; males and females of similar size (Ref. 81260).
Description: relatively robust (body depth 29.5-40.6%, mean 34.1% SL); snout medium length (25.2-40.7%, mean 34.3% HL); relatively deep preorbital (21.1-26.8%, mean 23.6% HL); caudal peduncle normally deeper than long, very occasionally slightly longer than deep; 8-11 (median 10) tuberculate hypobranchial and ceratobranchial rakers, 5-8 (median 7) lanceolate epibranchial rakers; some dorsal and anal fin rays produced; caudal rounded to slightly subtruncate in both sexes; 1-2 rows of scales between 8th pored scale of upper lateral line and dorsal fin base (Ref. 81260).
Coloration: base body coloration greyish brown, paler ventrally (Ref. 81260). Body scales in males with dark margination (Ref. 52307, 81260). Cheek and opercle with a bluish green iridescent flush; soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins in males with small violet maculae, which are not present in females; most of dorsal and often also upper parts of caudal fin in females with a blue-silvery coloration, reduced to a small silvery-white submarginal band in males; soft dorsal and caudal fins in males dark red, in females light blue or light red; anal bluish to violet in both sexes; dorsal fin and upper part of caudal with red margin in both sexes (Ref. 81260). Sometimes 2 rows of interrupted horizontal black stripes on flanks (Ref. 52307, 81260). |
| Biology: |
Seems to prefer flowing, medium to large-sized rivers (Ref. 52307). Pair-bonding, ovophilic, biparental mouthbrooding species (Ref. 52307, 81260). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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