Chindongo
| Chindongo | ||||||||||||
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Small perch ( Chindongo elongatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chindongo | ||||||||||||
| Li, Konings & Stauffer, 2016 |
Chindongo is a genus ofAfrican cichlids belonging to the Mbuna group , which is endemic to rocky coasts in the East African Lake Malawi . The genus was only introduced in September 2016 and combines the species of the former Pseudotropheus elongatus species group. Chindongo bellicosus , the type species was described together with the genus. She was previously known to lovers of Malawi cichlids under the name Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Aggressive" known. InMalawi, Chindongo is generally used to denote small fish found on rocky coasts.
features
The Chindongo species have a typical Mbuna shape, differ from Pseudotropheus and other genera, among other things, by their slimmer body and their pronounced aggressive behavior. The melanin pattern on the sides of the body in all ages comprises only vertical bands and never horizontal elements. The mouth is small, the lower jaw is slightly shorter than the upper jaw. Both the premaxillary and the lower jaw have a broad toothed zone at the front with at least three, but in most cases five to six rows of teeth. The teeth in the front section of the outer row of teeth of the upper and lower jaw are double-pointed.
The Chindongo species can be reliably distinguished from other Mbuna by their two-pointed teeth, Abactochromis , Cynotilapia , Gephyrochromis and some Labidochromis species only have single-pointed teeth, in Labeotropheus and Petrotilapia these teeth have three points. Of Labidochromis differs Chindongo also U-shaped lower jaw by the (V-shaped in Labidochromis ). Iodotropheus also has a U-shaped lower jaw, but its width is only 3/4 of its length, while in Chindongo the lower jaw is just as wide as it is long. In contrast to melanochromis , Chindongo species have no longitudinal stripes. Compared to Pseudotropheus , Chindongo species have a smaller mouth with larger outer teeth, and they also lack the two horizontal melanin bands on the sides of the body of the Pseudotropheus species.
Way of life
Chindongo species feed mainly on microscopic organisms (e.g. diatoms and cyanobacteria ), which they comb out of the algae growth of the rocks at an angle of 30 to 60 ° to the substrate. They prefer densely vegetated areas so that they can eat enough food with one bite. They aggressively defend their algae gardens against food competitors (e.g. Metriaclima species) and other Mbuna that eat the thread algae directly ( Tropheops species). Like almost all cichlids in Lake Malawi, the Chindongo species are mouthbrooders .
species
- Chindongo ater (Stauffer, 1988)
- Chindongo bellicosus Li, Konings & Stauffer, 2016
- Chindongo cyaneus (Stauffer, 1988)
- Chindongo demasoni (Konings, 1994)
- Small perch ( Chindongo elongatus ) (Fryer, 1956)
- Chindongo flavus (Stauffer, 1988)
- Chindongo heteropictus (Staeck, 1980)
- Chindongo longior (Seegers, 1996)
- Chindongo minutus (Fryer, 1956)
- Chindongo saulosi (Konings, 1990)
- Chindongo socolofi (Johnson, 1974)
literature
- Li, S., Konings, AF & Stauffer, JR Jr. (2016): A Revision of the Pseudotropheus elongatus species group (Teleostei: Cichlidae) With Description of a New Genus and Seven New Species. Zootaxa , 4168 (2): 353-381. DOI: 10.11646 / zootaxa.4168.2.9