Malawi country information

Common names: Chiheni, Mbuna, Mbuna
Occurrence: endemic
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Konings, A., 1990
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Exported as an aquarium fish (Ref. 5595).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies/Plea/mfri.htm
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Maréchal, C., 1991
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Schneckenbuntbarsch, 暗纹拟丽鱼, Chiheni, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Pseudotropheus: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, tropaion = defeat, a memorial of a fighting war, trophy; because of their specialized teeth were such an obvious feeding adaptation (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 8.0 - 9.0; dH range: 12 - 20; depth range 2 - 50 m. Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 2060); 13°S - 15°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Lake Malawi (Ref. 119458), common in the southeastern and southwestern arms of the lake (Ref. 5684).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5684)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: This species is distinguished from all other members in Pseudotropheus, except P. crabro, P. demasoni, and P. saulosi, by the presence of five or fewer vertical bars below the dorsal fin; most Pseudotropheus species either have no bars or have greater than five below the dorsal fin (Ref. 119458). It is distinguished from P. crabro, P. demasoni, and P. saulosi by a pale yellow to hyaline dorsal fin vs. dorsal fin heavily pigmented with black (Ref. 119458).

Lives mainly over sand where it finds refuge in the empty shells of the gastropod, Lanistes nyassanus. Also found in intermediate habitats and rarely over rocks. Usually territorial over gastropod shells. When found away from its shell, it is usually solitary or in small groups of less than 5 individuals. Feeds from sand, taking epipelic algae (Ref. 6256).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Females are mouthbrooders.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Stauffer, J.R. Jr., A.F. Konings and T.M. Ryan, 2016. Redescription of Pseudotropheus livingstonii and Pseudotropheus elegans from Lake Malawi, Africa. Zootaxa 4154(2):169-178. (Ref. 119458)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 June 2018

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: ; aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
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Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
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References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
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Pictures
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Otoliths
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Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.00700 - 0.03275), b=2.97 (2.80 - 3.14), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.7 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec<1000).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Pseudotropheus livingstonii (Boulenger, 1899)