Ptychochromis
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Ptychochromis oligacanthus , the type species of the genus. Drawing from a work by Alfred Grandidier . |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ptychochromis | ||||||||||||
| Steindachner , 1880 |
Ptychochromis is a genus of cichlid thatis endemic to Madagascar .
features
Ptychochromis species are small to medium-sized fish and grow to be 8 to 25 cm long. Your body is flattened on the sides, high back and covered with large comb scales. On the chest, the scales are small and embedded in the skin. They differ from all other Malagasy cichlids in that they have a free tooth plate, which is associated with the second ceratobranchiale (a bone of the upper gill arch ), but has not grown together with it. The outer and inner rows of teeth in both jaws consist of symmetrical, two-pointed teeth. The anal fin has three spines, the first being much shorter than the following.
Way of life
Ptychochromis species are found primarily in the lower and middle reaches of rivers in the eastern and northwestern coastal regions, but also in crater lakes on Nosy Be . Some populations also tolerate brackish water. Inland species usually have a smaller range than those found near the coast. The fish feed on aquatic insects and other invertebrates, on higher water plants and on algae. They are substrate spawners . Both parents take part in the brood care. After hatching, the fry are protected for a relatively long time. The breeding season ranges from October to December when the water level is relatively low.
species
- Ptychochromis curvidens Stiassny & Sparks, 2006
- Ptychochromis ernestmagnusi Sparks & Stiassny, 2010
- Ptychochromis grandidieri Sauvage, 1882
- Ptychochromis inornatus Sparks, 2002
- Ptychochromis insolitus Stiassny & Sparks, 2006
- Ptychochromis loisellei Stiassny & Sparks, 2006
- Ptychochromis mainty Martinez et al., 2015
- Ptychochromis makira Stiassny & Sparks, 2006
- Ptychochromis oligacanthus (Bleeker, 1868)
- Ptychochromis onilahy Stiassny & Sparks, 2006
Like many other Malagasy cichlids, the Ptychochromis species are endangered or threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN .
literature
- PV Loiselle and P. de Rham: Ptychochromis , pages 877-878 in Steven M. Goodman, Jonathan P. Benstead, Harald Schütz: The Natural History of Madagascar , University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-30307-1
- Stiassny & Sparks, 2006: Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the endemic Malagasy genus Ptychochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with the description of five new species and a diagnosis for Katria, new genus . American Museum Novitates, n.3535, p. 1-55
Web links
- Ptychochromis on Fishbase.org (English)