| Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| 10.26 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
|
demersal; freshwater; pH range: 5 - 6; dH range: 5 - 9 |
| Africa: present in the Ntem and associated drainages as well as the Ivindo and its tributaries, in Cameroon, Gabon (Ref. 81651) and Equatorial Guinea (Ref. 5673). Report from the Dja in Cameroon (Ref. 51193) is not confirmed in Ref. 81260 which considers this species as a Lower Guinea endemic. |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 14-16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 6-8. Diagnosis: lachrymal plus four tubular infraorbitals, no gap between third and fourth tubular infraorbital (Ref. 81260).
Description: relatively gracile (body depth 31.1-35.3% SL)(Ref. 81260). Head relatively long (Ref. 52307), its length 31.4-34.7% SL (Ref. 52307). Snout prominent (Ref. 81260) and acute/pointed (Ref. 52307, 81260). Predorsal profile smoothly convex; mouth moderately large, lower jaw more or less horizontally inclined and in line with flattened ventral body wall; caudal peduncle length variable, usually deeper than long but occasionally slightly longer than deep; upper branch of lateral line high on body, separated from dorsal base at highest point (8-9th pored scale) by 1-1.5 scale rows; 9-10 (rarely 8) tuberculate rakers on lower limb of first gill arch, 4-6 lanceolate epibranchial rakers (Ref. 81260). Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 52307, 81260) to slightly truncate (Ref. 52307) in both sexes, upper lobe in males normally slightly produced (Ref. 52307, 81260).
Coloration: body gray to light brown, paler ventrally; chest and throat creamy white; cheek and opercle pale yellow, opercular spot merged with opercular band; lachrymal stripe usually present; each body scale with iridescent pale turquoise blue spot in centre and a darkly ringed margin; faint vertical striping often present, mid-lateral band extending from opercular band to caudal base usually evident; upper half of eye red; leading edge of pelvic fin white, rest of fin pale blue; soft dorsal with thin white margin and red submargin; soft dorsal, caudal and posterior parts of anal in both sexes gray with rows of pale blue maculae, more visible in males than females; remaining parts of anal pale violet (Ref. 81260). |
| Monogamous, biparental, substrate spawners displaying some degree of sexual dichromatism (Ref. 81260). Pair-bonding cave spawner (Ref. 52307). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.