Haplochromis bicolor
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Haplochromis bicolor |
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| Boulenger , 1906 |
Haplochromis bicolor ( Syn .: Macropleurodus bicolor ) is a species of cichlid that is endemic to the East African Lake Victoria .
features
The fish species can reach a total length of 18 cm. Males have a dark, slate-gray basic color and a light, slightly silvery shimmering belly. The sides of the body and the gill covers shimmer slightly purple. The lower jaw, cheeks, throat ( Branchiostegalmembranen ) and chest are black. The dorsal fin is blackish and shows red dots and lines on the membranes between the fin rays . The anal fin is gray and has purple egg spots. Females are yellowish green with a silvery belly, yellowish green dorsal and anal fin, the dorsal fin occasionally showing two longitudinal stripes, and colorless caudal and ventral fins. In addition to the normal form described, there is a black and white and an OB morph (males and females are spotted orange and black).
Haplochromis bicolor differs from other Haplochromis species mainly in the strong teeth of the outer row of teeth in both jaws, which have two-pointed crowns cut off at an angle. The main point in front is directed inwards, the rear point is vertical, is only slightly developed and because of the extreme inward curvature of the main point, it is closer to the lips than the main point. In small specimens, the teeth of the inner rows of teeth are small and one or two-pointed. In individuals who are taller than 8 to 9 cm ( SL ), the teeth of the inner row of teeth are larger and resemble those of the outer row of teeth. This is why the dentate area of the premaxillary is also wider. The teeth of the outer row of teeth are visible even when the mouth is closed.
Way of life
Haplochromis bicolor lives near the coast on sandy or rocky ground and feeds on mollusks . Like all Haplochromis species, Haplochromis bicolor is a mouthbrooder .
Danger
The stocks of Haplochromis bicolor have plummeted dramatically since the 1970s. The reason is the introduction of the piscivorous Nile perch ( Lates niloticus ) by humans. The species has not been seen in the lake since 1991 and may have become extinct there. However, there may still be small populations in protected areas of the lake. The IUCN therefore classifies Haplochromis bicolor as endangered (Vulnerable). In addition to being stalked by the Nile perch, potential remnants of Haplochromis bicolor are endangered by hybridization with other Haplochromis species, as the reduced depth of view of the water due to increasing water pollution makes it difficult to identify the species and choose the right sexual partner. There are still stocks in various public and private aquariums and attempts are being made there to preserve the species from extinction through conservation breeding .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Erwin Schraml: Haplochromis (Macropleurodus) bicolor. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. 2 volumes. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , p. 442.
- ^ MJP van Oijen: The generic classification of the haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria, East Africa. Zool. Verh. Leiden 302, 15.ii.1996: 57-110, ISSN 0024-1652 , ISBN 90-73239-44-3 .
- ↑ a b Haplochromis bicolor in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Witte, F. Brooks, E. & de Zeeuw, MP, 2016. Retrieved on October 6, 2016th
Web links
- Haplochromis bicolor on Fishbase.org (English)