Hemitaeniochromis
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| Eccles & Trewavas , 1989 |
Hemitaeniochromis is in Malawi and in the upper Shire endemic living genus of cichlid . There are two species, Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia and the Hemitaeniochromis brachyrhynchus, which was only described in 2012. The genus was established in 1989 by David H. Eccles and Ethelwynn Trewavas to separate the piscivorous Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia from the genus Haplochromis .
features
As diagnostic features of the genus, Eccles and Trewavas gave the single-pointed, widely spaced teeth in the outer row of teeth of the upper and lower jaw, as well as a haplochromines color pattern with dominant horizontal stripes and indistinct transverse bands.
Oliver renewed the generic description in his description of Hemitaeniochromis brachyrhynchus and emphasized that the horizontal stripes are darker than the vertical stripes, the stripe running down the middle of the body consists of several spots in the front part of the body and appears rather continuous in the back. It runs from the eye or just behind the gill cover to the end of the caudal peduncle. Above this stripe, at the base of the dorsal fin, there are four to five dark spots. The jaw teeth of specimens that have a standard length of more than 10 cm are single-pointed. The gaps between the teeth are just as wide as the tooth bases. Smaller individuals have teeth that are closer together and have uneven, double-pointed tips. The mouth is at an angle of 50 to 60 °. The upper side line moves downwards at its rear end and is only separated from the lower side line there by a pore-free scale. This feature occurs in most of Lake Malawi's cichlids.
species
Two types have been described so far:
- Hemitaeniochromis brachyrhynchus Oliver , 2012
- Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia ( Regan , 1922)
Nine other species, often only known through photographs, have been assigned to the genus by various authors. However, they often do not show the color pattern characteristic of the species and have an unknown dentition.
literature
- Michael K. Oliver (2012): Hemitaeniochromis brachyrhynchus , a new species of cichlid fish from Lake Malaŵi, with comments on some other supposed members of the genus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) . Zootaxa , 3410: 35-50.
Web links
- Hemitaeniochromis on Fishbase.org (English)