Placidochromis johnstoni
| Placidochromis johnstoni | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Placidochromis johnstoni |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Placidochromis johnstoni | ||||||||||||
| ( Günther , 1894) |
Placidochromis johnstoni ( Syn . : Haplochromis johnstoni, H. sexfasciatus ) is a species of cichlid that is endemic to the East African Lake Malawi .
features
The species of fish can reach a length of 17 to 20 cm and has a moderately elongated, laterally flattened body. Females and young fish are colored yellow-gray to green-beige. In dominant, reproductive males, the head is metallic blue-green to turquoise, the rest of the body is yellowish or bluish, the dorsal and caudal fins are light blue and patterned with yellowish to red-violet or brownish oval spots. The first rays of the dorsal fin are black. The anal and pelvic fins are gray, the first ray of the pelvic fins is white or light blue, and the pectoral fins are transparent. Both sexes show six dark transverse bands and a dark eye line on the sides of the body. If the animals take on the startle color, they show two dark longitudinal stripes, one in the middle of the body side, the other in the upper half of the body.
- Fins formula : dorsal XV – XVI / 10–11, anal III / 8–9.
- Dandruff formula mLR 32–33, SL 20–26 / 12–14.
Way of life
Placidochromis johnstoni lives mainly in shallow water up to three meters deep and can be found there between vallisneria stands , more rarely over stony subsoil or over mixed stone / sand biotopes. The species is very rare at depths of more than 15 meters. The fish live alone or form mixed groups with males and females. They feed on insect larvae and smaller fish. Like all haplochromine cichlids, Placidochromis johnstoni is a mouthbrooder in which the female takes care of the brood. To spawn, the male digs a bowl-shaped pit in the sandy bottom. After spawning, the female takes the eggs in her mouth. The fry leave the maternal mouth for the first time after about two to three weeks. Even afterwards, they are protected by the mother and especially taken into their mouths at night. Large females can raise more than 100 fry.
literature
- Andreas Spreinat: Lake Malawi cichlids from Tanzania. Unitext Verlag, 1994, ISBN 3-926142-42-1 , p. 120.
- Horst Linke, Wolfgang Staek: African Cichlids II, cichlids from East Africa. Tetra-Verlag, Bissendorf 1997, ISBN 3-8935-6152-8 , pp. 133-134.
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 , p. 757.
Web links
- Placidochromis johnstoni on Fishbase.org (English)