Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Maylandia: In honour of Hans J. Mayland, German ictiologist (Ref. 45335); nigrodorsalis: The name nigrodorsalis, from Latin, means black dorsal, alluding to the black submarginal band in the dorsal of males and some females (Ref. 93436).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: Lake Malawi (Ref. 93436).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93436)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. Diagnosis: The presence of bicuspid teeth in the anterior portion of the outer row on both the upper and lower jaws and a moderately sloped ethmo-vomerine block with a swollen rostral tip place this species in Maylandia (Ref. 93436). The presence of a black submarginal band in the dorsal fin in combination with distinct black lateral bars on a blue and/or yellow flank and with yellow pigment on the cheek and breast distinguish males of this species from those of all other members of the genus except from those of the Maleri Island population of M. flavifemina; Maylandia nigrodorsalis can be distinguished from M. flavifemina by a deeper cheek, being 25,3-32,0% of body depth in M. nigrodorsalis vs. 20,3-24,8% in M. flavifemina from Maleri Island (Ref. 93436). Female Maylandia nigrodorsalis are distinguished from all other female Maylandia, except from those of M. lundoense, by the presence of a black submarginal band in the dorsal fin; female M. nigrodorsalis cannot reliably be distinguished from those of M. lundoense (Ref. 93436).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Stauffer, J.R., K. Black and A.F. Konings, 2013. Descriptions of five new species of Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi, Africa. Zootaxa 3647(1):101-136. (Ref. 93436)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.3 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).