Haplochromis vonlinnei
Haplochromis vonlinnei | ||||||||||||
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Paratype of Haplochromis vonlinnei , a sexually mature female of 115 mm standard length . |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Haplochromis vonlinnei | ||||||||||||
van Oijen & Zeeuw , 2008 |
Haplochromis vonlinnei is an extremely rare or already extinct species of cichlid from Lake Victoria . It is named after the founder of modern taxonomy , the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné . In their introduction to the first description, the authors regret that of the original 26 fish species that were named after Linnaeus, only one is still considered valid today, while the rest have been synonymous with other species. With Haplochromis vonlinnei , Linnaeus was to be honored by a second valid species. The description of the species was based on five specimens thatwere caughtbetween 1978 and 1980 in the Gulf of Mwanza in the southern part of Lake Victoria. They are the only examples of the species known to date.
features
Haplochromis vonlinnei becomes a maximum of 15.9 cm long. Its body is moderately elongated, the upper head profile is gently rounded. The muzzle is relatively pointed, the teeth are strongly curved. The species shows a brownish-gray basic color, the gill cover and the upper body sides shimmer golden brown. In the middle of the flanks there is a distinct, dark longitudinal band that is wider in males than in females. Another dark longitudinal band lies directly below the dorsal fin.
Way of life
Haplochromis vonlinnei was only found in the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria in the Gulf of Mwanza. Remains of smaller haplochromin cichlids were found in the intestines of the specimens examined, from which it is concluded that Haplochromis vonlinnei is a specialized fish eater.
Danger
The IUCN classifies Haplochromis vonlinnei as critically endangered ("critically endangered"), but admits that it may have become extinct ("possibly extinct"). The reason given for the threat or extinction is the introduction of the Nile perch ( Lates niloticus ), a large predatory fish, into the lake. The five specimens examined for the first description are the only specimens of the species ever found.
literature
- MJP van Oijen & MP de Zeeuw (2008): Haplochromis vonlinnei spec. nov., a piscivorous haplochromine cichlid (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the Mwanza Gulf area of Lake Victoria. Zoologische Mededelingen, 82 (17): 167-175. PDF
Web links
- Haplochromis vonlinnei on Fishbase.org (English)
- Haplochromis vonlinnei in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Witte, F., de Zeeuw, MP & Brooks, E., 2010. Accessed August 15, 2012th
- Info from the German Cichlid Society (PDF; 914 kB)