Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Sarotherodon: Greek, saros, -ou = sawdust + Greek, ther = animal * Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 25°C - 27°C (Ref. 12468), preferred ?; 5°N - 4°N
Africa: Lake Barombi Mbo (Ref. 4999, 81260), a tributary of Kake River (affluent of Lake Barombi Mbo) (Ref. 81260) and Kumba stream (tributary of the outlet of Barombi Mbo) (Ref. 4999), west Cameroon.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81260)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 15 - 17;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 10-12;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 8 - 10;
Vertebrae: 29. Diagnosis: 14-18 rakers on lower limb of first arch; 30-31 scales in lateral line (Ref. 81260). Body silver-grey, with mid-lateral black band interrupted anteriorly on caudal peduncle (Ref. 2, 81260). Head length 33.0-38.4% of standard length; jaw teeth with slender shafts and broad crowns (Ref. 81260). Mature fishes of both sexes with variable black areas on lower jaw and lower parts of head; no tilapia-mark (Ref. 2).
Usually forms schools at the surface; feeds mainly on epiphytic and epilithic filamentous algae, and the diatoms, rhizopods, rotifers and organic debris found among them; adults feed by opening their mouths very wide and applying them to the surface of the rock as though sucking the material in (Ref. 2). Lacks marked sexual dichromatism when sexually active; forms temporary pair bonds (Ref. 81260).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Absence of sexual dichromatism suggests a biparental mouth-brooding function.
Trewavas, E. and G.G. Teugels, 1991. Sarotherodon. p. 425-437. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 4999)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01622 (0.00707 - 0.03721), b=3.02 (2.82 - 3.22), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 2.2 ±0.15 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (23 of 100) .