Tylochromis polylepis
| Tylochromis polylepis | ||||||||||||
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Drawing from the first description |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tylochromis polylepis | ||||||||||||
| ( Boulenger , 1900) |
Tylochromis polylepis ( Syn .: Pelmatochromis polylepis ) is an African cichlid species that occurs in East African Lake Tanganyika and in Lukuga , the outflow from Lake Tanganyika to the Congo .
features
It is a relatively large cichlid that can grow up to 43.5 cm in length. It is high back and flattened on the sides. The head is large and high, the greatest body height is directly behind the head at the beginning of the dorsal fin. The body tapers significantly towards the tail stalk. The scales of the fish are small, so the number of side-line scales is high ( polylepis = Greek : "polys" = a lot + Lat .: "Lepis" = scale). The caudal fin is forked.
- Fin formula : dorsal XIV – XVI / 13–15, anals III / 7–9.
- Scale formula 54–59 (SL)
- 8–11 gill rake
Tylochromis polylepis is inconspicuously gray-brown in color with five or six dark transverse bars on the sides of the body. There are some dark spots in the dorsal fin. The bases of the pectoral and pelvic fins, the tips of the anterior fin rays of the dorsal fin and the corners of the mouth are reddish.
Way of life
Tylochromis polylepis inhabits swamps and bays on the coasts, estuaries and sandy coastal areas of the lake. Young fish live in schools, adult fish are loners. The fish feed mainly on small crustaceans and insects, as well as molluscs and plants. Tylochromis polylepis is a mouthbrooder in which the female takes care of the brood. A clutch usually contains a little more than 100 eggs. No further details on reproductive biology are known.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pierre Brichard: The Great Book of Tanganyika Cichlids. With all the other fish on Lake Tanganyika. Bede Verlag GmbH. 1995, ISBN 978-3927997943 , pages 425-426.
- ↑ Anton Lamboj: The Cichlids of Western Africa. Nature and Animals, 2006, ISBN 3-86659-000-8 . Page 27
- ↑ Tylochromis polylepis on Fishbase.org (English)