Pallidochromis tokolosh
| Pallidochromis tokolosh | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Pallidochromis | ||||||||||||
| Turner , 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Pallidochromis tokolosh | ||||||||||||
| Turner, 1994 |
Pallidochromis tokolosh is a predatory species of African cichlid that is endemic to the southeastern part of the East African Lake Malawi . The specific epithet tokolosh probably comes from the mythology of the Zulu . The Tokoloshe is a dwarfish, evil mythical creature there.
features
Pallidochromis tokolosh can become 28 to 35 cm long and in its external appearance is similar to the species of the genera Diplotaxodon and Rhamphochromis . The species differs from Diplotaxodon by its longer, more widely spaced teeth and the less upward-pointing mouth, from Rhamphochromis by its larger eyes and less elongated shape. Pallidochromis tokolosh is monochrome, silvery and does not show any stripes or spots. The lower jaw protrudes far. The jaws are set with widely spaced, simple teeth, of which only those in the outer row are enlarged. Compared to similar cichlids, the number of eddies is low.
Way of life
Pallidochromis tokolosh is a piscivorous predatory fish that lives close to the ground at depths of 50 to 150 meters. Like almost all cichlids in Lake Malawi, Pallidochromis tokolosh is a mouthbrooder .
literature
- George F. Turner, 1994. Pallidochromis tokolosh, a new genus and species of deep water cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 5 (4): 377-383. ISSN 0936-9902
Web links
- Pallidochromis tokolosh on Fishbase.org (English)