Serranochromis altus
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Serranochromis altus |
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| Winemiller & Kelso-Winemiller, 1991 |
Serranochromis altus is a large species of cichlid that occurs in the upper Zambezi in Zambia , as well as in the catchment area of the Okavango in Botswana and Namibia .
features
The fish species has a high-backed body and can reach a length of 56 cm and a maximum weight of 3.9 kg, the average length of adult specimens is around 30 cm. The standard length is 2.3 to 3.1 times the body height. The head profile is clearly indented above the eyes. The mouth is strongly protruding (protractile). Serranochromis altus is silvery, olive gray or gray in color, the back is darker, usually olive gray, the top of the head is even darker than the back. Belly and chest are whitish. On the flanks there are 5 to 9 only faintly visible vertical stripes. The edges of the scales are gray, brown-gray or olive-colored and, as a rule, are darker in sexually mature specimens than in younger ones. The head and chest of sexually mature specimens are greenish to olive in color and darker in the males than in the females. The head is largely unpatterned except for a few gray-brown, olive or blackish spots on the cheeks or gill covers. The iris is orange or golden brown in young fish. The pectoral fins are transparent and unspotted. The dorsal fin is orange or yellowish on the edge and in its soft-rayed section. The anal fin is silvery to light blue at the base and yellowish at the outer edge. The caudal fin of females and immature males is pink or reddish; that of the males is silvery, pink or indigo in color with dark red, purple or indigo colored spots. Both sexes have 30 to 40 large, pink or orange egg spots on the anal fin , each of which is surrounded by a transparent or whitish ring, sometimes black in reproductive fish. The ventral fins of the females and young males are yellow to orange, those of sexually mature males are black.
- Fin formula : Dorsal XV – XVI / 15–18; Anals III / 11–13, pectorals 13–15.
- Dandruff formula 22–24 / 16–18 (SL)
- Gill rake : 11–13
Overall, Serranochromis altus is similar to Serranochromis angusticeps but, in contrast to this species, has an unpatterned head.
Way of life
Serranochromis altus can often be found in the vicinity or between dense vegetation and is mainly active during twilight and at night. It is a predatory fish that feeds primarily on piscivores . Stomach examinations revealed remains of amphipods , mussels , decapods , mayfly larvae , Egyptian pike , tetras , small carp fish , the glass catfish Schilbe mystus , luminous eye fish , bush fish as well as the cichlids Pseudocrenilabrus philander , Sargtonarriiring and Tilarriiis . Serranochromis altus reproduces before the rainy season, which lasts from December to January. Like all Serranochromis species, Serranochromis altus is a mouthbrooder .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e K. O. Winemiller, LC Kelso-Winemiller: Serranochromis altus, a New Species of Piscivorous Cichlid (Teleostei: Perciformes) from the Upper Zambezi River . Copeia , 1991 (3), pp. 675-686
Web links
- Serranochromis altus on Fishbase.org (English)