Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus
| Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Pellegrin , 1900) |
Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus is a species of fish from the cichlid family (Cichlidae) that is widespread in the Central African rainforest. In the Republic of the Congo it was found in the rivers Kouilou , Loeme and Ddjoungou,among others. It also occurs in the catchment area of the Ogooué in Gabon, in the lower Congo and in the riverbasin ofthe central Congo between Kinshasa and Yangambi. These include the river basins of Dja , Ruki , Kasai , Lake Tumbasee , Lomami and Itimbiri .
features
Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus can reach a standard length of 11.5 cm and a total length of 15 cm. Its body is high and the height of the body is 40 to 47% of the standard length at the highest point just behind the attachment of the dorsal fin. The head length is 34 to 37% of the standard length. The snout, in fish the area between the front edge of the eye and the tip of the mouth, is short, the mouth is terminal and small. In specimens that are larger than 6 cm, the teeth of the outer row of teeth are conical, single-pointed and evenly distributed, the teeth of the 2 to 4 inner rows of teeth are smaller and also single-pointed. Smaller specimens have both single-pointed and double-pointed jaw teeth. On the lower branch of the first gill arch there are 9 to 14 lanceolate gill rakes . The tail stalk is short and high. In adult males, the soft-radiated parts of the dorsal and anal fin are elongated and protrude over the caudal fin and the tips of the pelvic fins protrude over the spine of the anal fin. The caudal fin is strongly scaled at its base.
- Fin formula : dorsal XIV – XV / 10–11, anal III / 8–10.
The populations of Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus found in the Congo Basin are light golden yellow with a metallic green on the cheeks and the rear flank area. The abdomen and chest can be reddish in color. The gill cover shows a dark spot. Six dark spots extend centrally along the sides of the body. A second longitudinal band of smaller and less pronounced spots is located between the midline of the sides of the body and the base of the dorsal fin. In addition, the fish can show faintly visible vertical stripes on the sides of the body. On the head, the species shows three stripes, one between the eyes, one from the eyes to the nostrils and a third from the eyes to the corner of the mouth. The unpaired fins (dorsal, anal and caudal fin) show rows of dark spots that can also be deep red in the front area of the anal fin. Is a dark spot (at the base of the fifth and sixth beam sting of the dorsal fin and the immediately adjacent dorsal region Pelmatochromis -Fleck). It is clearly pronounced in young fish and females, less so in large males.
There is no description of the coloration of the populations in Lower Guinea.
Way of life
No data are available on the way of life of Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus in the wild. We know from offspring in aquariums that they are open brooders who lay their little pigmented eggs mainly on stones. The very small fry hatch after three days and after hatching are first deposited by their parents in a pit dug in the ground or on plant leaves. The brood is looked after and defended by both parents.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Melanie Stiassny, Guy Teugels & Carl D. Hopkins: The Fresh and Brackish Water Fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa, Volume 2 , ISBN 978-9074752213 , page 395 u. 396.
- ↑ a b c Anton Lamboj: The cichlids of western Africa. Publisher: Natur und Tier, 2006, ISBN 386-659000-8 , pages 125-126.
- ↑ a b Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus on Fishbase.org (English)