Genyochromis mento
| Genyochromis mento | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Genyochromis | ||||||||||||
| Trewavas , 1935 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Genyochromis mento | ||||||||||||
| Trewavas, 1935 |
Genyochromis mento is an African cichlid species that is endemic to the East African Lake Malawi and feeds ectoparasitic on scales and fin parts of other fish. In German it is therefore also known as the Malawi scale eater or Malawi fin bite.
features
The fish reach a length of about 12.5 cm and with their elongated body resemble the other Malawi cichlids from the mbuna group. In terms of color, the species is extremely variable. There are males with a brownish, yellowish, gray, silvery or bluish basic color. There may be six or seven dark horizontal stripes on the sides of the body. There may also be a longitudinal stripe, inter-eye stripe, nose stripe or forehead stripe. The yellowish animals can also have irregular black spots. The dorsal fin is often bluish and lined with white, yellow, or black. The anal fin shows one, two or three egg spots . The females of the various morphs are usually lighter in color than the males, and orange-colored females are also known. Characteristic of the species is the broad mouth with a strongly protruding lower jaw, to which both the scientific generic name Genyochromis and the species epithet mento refer ( Gr .: "Genys" = chin + chromis ; Lt .: "mentum" = chin ). The lower jaw is covered with six to eight rows of teeth. The small teeth become increasingly smaller inward. With the outer, the cutting edges are directed inwards. The upper jaw has six rows of teeth. There are eight to nine gill rakes on the lower section of the first gill arch . There are six to eight rows of scales on the "cheeks".
- Fin formula : dorsal XVI – XVII / 9–10, anals III / 7–8.
- Scale formula : mLR 32–33.
Way of life
Genyochromis mento is found in all habitats in front of Lake Malawi, but is rarely open sandy areas. The species is very territorial and feeds on scales and fin parts of other fish. Like almost all cichlids in Lake Malawi, Genyochromis mento is a mouthbrooder . The approximately 30 eggs are protected in the female's mouth for about 24 days.
literature
- Hans J. Mayland: The Malawi lake and its fish. Landbuch Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-7842-0257-8 .
- Erwin Schraml: Genyochromis mento. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. 2 volumes. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , Volume 1, p. 403.
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
- Ethelwynn Trewavas: A Synopsis of the Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyasa . From the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Ser. 10, vol. xvi. p. 65, July 1935. pp. 79-80.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Schaefer & Schröer, page 403.
- ↑ Trewawas, page 79th
- ↑ a b Sterba, page 754.
- ↑ a b Trewawas, page 80.
Web links
- Genyochromis mento on Fishbase.org (English)