Tramitichromis

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Tramitichromis
Tramitichromis brevis

Tramitichromis brevis

Systematics
Ovalentaria
Order : Cichliformes
Family : Cichlids (Cichlidae)
Subfamily : Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe : Haplochromini
Genre : Tramitichromis
Scientific name
Tramitichromis
Eccles & Trewavas , 1989

Tramitichromis : ( Lat .: "Trames" = cross path + chromis (genus of damselfish , in which cichlids were also described earlier)) is a genus of African cichlids (Cichlidae). It is endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa.

features

Tramitichromis species reach body lengths of 14 to 17.5 cm. The melanin pattern below the surface coloration of the various species, which is often used to diagnose the cichlid genus of Lake Malawi, is different and can consist of an oblique, dark diagonal stripe, rows of spots or three individual spots on the sides of the body. Instead, the unusually shaped lower pharyngeal bone is given as a diagnostic feature of the genus . It has a more or less steeply angled anterior section and in some of the species (but not in T. intermedius ) a widened anterior tooth-bearing part.

Way of life

Tramitichromis species live over overgrown sandy soils and feed on soft invertebrates. The sand that is taken up in portions is chewed through and small invertebrates such as insect larvae or molluscs are filtered out with the gill rake and eaten. Like most cichlids in Lake Malawi, all Tramitichromis species are oviphilic mouthbrooders .

species

literature

  • David H. Eccles, E. Trewavas (1989): Malawian cichlid fishes. The classification of some Haplochromine genera. Lake Fish Movies, HW Dieckhoff, West Germany. 1-334.
  • Erwin Schraml: Tramitichromis. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , p. 944 f.

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