Diagnosis: Haplochromis pharyngalis differs from all species from the Lake Edward system, except Haplochromis fuscus, by a rounded caudal fin; very small, round and depply embedded chest scales, 7-11 pectoral-pelvic scales; small nape scales, and dominant males with white-blue first ray of pelvic fins (Ref. 128436). It differs from H. fuscus by an acute vs. blunt snout with a more shallow inclination, 40°-45° vs. 45°-60°; rounded vs. nearly squared dental arcades; and fewer rowsof inner oral teeth, 2-3, rarely 4, vs. 4-5 (Ref. 128436). It shares with H. elegans and H. aeneocolor a generalised Haplochromis morphology; it differs from both by 3-5 vs. 2-3 infraorbital chekk scales, deeper cheeks, 24.0-31.2% of head length vs. 19.2-23.8% and 20.1-24.4%, slightly smaller eyes, 26.9-33.1% of head length vs. 29.9-36.2% and 29.7-35.0%, and dominant males with green-yellow vs. blue and yellow flanks, respectively (Ref. 128436). Some specimens from Lake Edward share with Haplochromis mylodon, Haplochromis concilians, Haplochromis placodus and Haplochromis malacophagus an enlarged pharyngeal apparatus set with molariform teeth; it differs from all by recurved vs. straight outer oral teeth and from H. mylodon and H. concilians by the colour pattern of dominant males with green-yellow vs. blue flanks and faint vs. well-defined nostril and interorbital stripes; the latter is also diagnostic in preserved specimens (Ref. 128436).

Description: Generalised Haplochromis body, dorsal- and anal-fin bases long (Ref. 128436). Dorsal head profile weakly convex in small specimens of less than 70mm standard length, anterior part concave and posterior part convex with skin somewhat thickened in large specimens of more than 70mm standard length (Ref. 128436). Snout generalised in length, blunt and with an inclination of 40°-45°; eyes small; interorbital region narrow; cheeks deep; jaws isognathous and rounded; gape large and with a gentle inclination of 25°-35°; lower jaw short and upper jaw generalised; maxilla reaches level between anteriormost points of orbit and pupil; lips large (Ref. 128436). Neurocranium generalised with deep and wedge-shaped supraoccipital crest (Ref. 128436). Chest scales very small, round and embedded in skin; transition to flank scales abrupt between pectoral and pelvic-fin bases; scaleless anteroventral and ventral parts of cheek; scaleless area of 3-4 scale lengths just anterior of first dorsal-fin spine (Ref. 128436). Outer oral teeth stout and weakly embedded in oral mucosa; necks straight and cylindrical; crowns recurved and weakly flattened laterally; outer teeth of small specimens of less than 75mm standard length bicuspid, major cusps bluntly pointed to rounded, equilateral and with very small flanges, i.e. flattened protrusion laterally implanted on cusp, minor cusps large and straight up, cusp gaps broad; in large specimens of more than 80mm standard length a mixture of bi- and unicuspid outer teeth, major cusps very bluntly pointed, equilateral and without flanges, minor cusps small and slightly horizontally inclined, cusp gaps narrow; in all specimens dental arcades rounded and long; outer teeth regularly and closely set with 1/2 tooth width between adjacent teeth; in both jaws, posterior outer teeth mostly unicuspid; in upper jaw, 2-3 posteriormost outer teeth enlarged; in lower jaw, anterior outer teeth implanted slightly procumbent at 20°-30°; tooth bands slender with 2-3 rows of inner teeth that are set on 1-2 outer tooth widths from outer row and that diminish laterad until only outer row remains posteriorly; in small specimens of less than 75mm standard length, inner teeth stout, bluntly pointed and strongly tricuspid; in large specimens of more than 75mm standard length, inner teeth weakly tri- to unicuspid; anterior inner and outer teeth often somewhat abraded (Ref. 128436). Lower pharyngeal bone equally deep over entire length and highly variable in form: from greatly enlarged, deep and set with molariform teeth in four median rows, to stout, relatively shallow, and set with stout teeth in two median rows; lateral teeth slender and beveiled with major cusps bluntly pointed, cusp gaps concave and wide, and minor cusps stout and small to reduced; posteriormost teeth from molariform to stout with major cusps bluntly pointed, minor cusps reduced and cusp gaps wide; median row with 7-10 teeth; posterior transverse row with 20-28 teeth (Ref. 128436). Ceratobranchial gill rakers of outer row of first gill arch, unifid, short, blunt and with posteriormost rakers rarely anvil-shaped; anteriormost part of ceratobranchial mostly covered by papillose tissue and papillae present on inner margins of anterior gill rakers; epibranchial gill rakers slender (Ref. 128436). Caudal fin rounded to weakly emarginate; doral and anal fins reach to level between caudal-fin base and 1/4 caudal-fin length in females, between caudal-fin base and 1/2 caudal-fin length in dominant males; pectoral fins extend to level between two scale lengths anterior and one scale length posterior to anal opening; pelvic fins to level between anal opening and first anal-fin spine in females, just before anal fin to first soft anal-fin ray in dominant males; first ray of pelvic fin slightly produced in males; dorsal fin with 15-17 spines and 7-10 soft rays, anal fin with 3 spines and 7-9 soft rays, pectoral fin with 13-14 soft rays (Ref. 128436). Longitudinal line scales 29-33, upper lateral line scales 20-23, lower lateral line scales 7-14, scales between dorsal fin base and upper lateral line 5-7, scales between upper lateral line and anal fin base 10-12, caudal peduncle scales 16, scales between pectoral fin and pelvic fin 7-11, infraorbital cheek scales 3-5, postorbital cheek scales 8-12 (Ref. 128436).

Colouration: Colouration in live dominant males: flanks green-yellow with blue sheen and 5-8 dark, slender and faint vertical stripes; dorsal part of head and anterior part of dorsum crimson with rose-purple sheen, gently fading posteriad; belly, chest, branchiostegal rays black; operculum green-yellow; cheeks white-grey with blue sheen; snout, lacrimal, lips and lower jaw turquoise to blue; head with broad lacrimal stripes and faint nostril, interorbital and supraorbital stripes; pectoral fins hyaline; pelvic fins black with bluish-white leading edge; dorsal fin dusky with crimson sheen, yellow base, crimson lappets; anal fin dusky with dark spines, crimson distal part and 2-8 small egg spots, size equal to distance between rays; caudal fin hyaline to dusky and with yellow base and crimson distal part; posterior part of dorsal fin and whole caudal fin strongly maculated (Ref. 128436). Colouration in live sub-dominant males: similar to dominant males, except for white chest and belly, yellow flanks and hyaline base of anal fin (Ref. 128436). Colouration in live females and juveniles: dorsum greyish; flank, cheek and operculum beige with yellow sheen, and belly and chest white; snout and lacrymal dusky with bluish sheen and faint lacrimal stripes; pectoral and caudal fins hyaline, all other fins white; dorsal and anal fins with black lappets, anal fin with 3-5 small spots resembling egg spots; posterior part of dorsal fin and caudal fin with faint maculations (Ref. 128436). Colouration in preserved specimens: body brown; flanks with 5-8 slender and faint vertical stripes; chest and cheeks light brown; head with faint nostril and interorbital stripes and broad lachrymal stripes; in dominant males, snout and horizontal arm of preoperculum dark; in all specimens, pectoral fins hyaline and caudal fin hyaline to dusky and strongly maculated; in females, pelvic, dorsal, and anal fins dusky; in dominant males, pelvic fins black and with first ray blue, dorsal and anal fins dark and with hyaline posterodistal part and black lappets between spines, anal fin with 2-8 small egg spots with hyaline borders (Ref. 128436).