Benitochromis
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
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| Lamboj , 2001 |
Benitochromis is a genus of the cichlid family (Cichlidae), which is distributed in tropical West Africa from the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria to northwestern Gabon , as well as on Bioko . The genus was named after the Río Benito in Equatorial Guinea .
features
Benitochromis species are 7.5 to 12 cm long, females remain somewhat smaller. Their body is ovate, oval, moderately high back and flattened on the sides. The head profile is straight to slightly rounded, the snout slightly rounded to a little pointed. The caudal fin is almost always rounded. The sexes can be distinguished by their coloring. Males have dark points and lines in the soft-rayed sections of the dorsal and anal fin, as well as on the caudal fin, and their body scales are often outlined in black. The females lack these markings or they are less pronounced. In contrast, they show shiny chrome areas in their dorsal fin and in the upper section of the caudal fin. Young fish and young adults show a tilapia spot . Benitochromis differs from the closely related genus Chromidotilapia in that it has three additional infraorbital bones and only four pores of the sensory system on the lacrimale .
Way of life
Benitochromis species prefer the near shore of their living waters and areas with many hiding places. You avoid fast flowing stretches of water. They are not very specialized in their diet and eat microorganisms, detritus , algae, growth and shrimp eggs. Larger insects, crustaceans and small fish are rarely eaten. All Benitochromis styles are mouth brooders , five species are ovophil, one is larvophil ( Benitochromis batesii ). Usually both sexes take part in brood care or only the female.
species
At the moment (beginning of 2015) six species are included in the genus Benitochromis :
- Benitochromis batesii ( Boulenger , 1901)
- Benitochromis conjunctus Lamboj, 2001
- Benitochromis finleyi ( Trewavas , 1974) ( type species )
- Benitochromis nigrodorsalis Lamboj, 2001
- Benitochromis riomuniensis ( Thys van den Audenaerde , 1981)
- Benitochromis ufermanni Lamboj, 2001
literature
- Anton Lamboj: The cichlids of western Africa. Nature and Animals, 2006, ISBN 3-86659-000-8 .
Web links
- Benitochromis on Fishbase.org (English)