Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Alcolapia: From Albert Alcock, 1891, edited the research campaigne carried out by the ship Investigator in Bengal and Calcute + Bechauana, Tihape = fish.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical, preferred ?; 2°S - 3°S
Africa: Tanzania and Kenya (Lake Natron; introduced in Lake Nakuru).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 32272)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 9 - 14;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 11-15;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 9 - 11;
Vertebrae: 27 - 30. Mature females with an overall golden hue; males with the flanks a pale blue and the lateral parts of the lower lip swollen and brilliant. In full color the blue spots on the scales become iridescent. The genital papilla is conical, prominent and yellow in the mature male, less prominent, but swollen in the mature female. Scale rows on cheeks 3-4. Preorbital bone with only 4 pores and no scales. (Ref.4967)
Occur at a temperature range of 30-32°C (Ref. 2). Feed actively in the early morning; mainly on algae as well as copepods and dipterous larvae (Ref. 2). Females mouthbrood the eggs (Ref. 2).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Early in the morning before taking possession of their pits, the males feed on slimy algal growths-noisily. Sexual activity is greater after noon than before. Young male may build a small pit around that of a larger male and mate there with a small female (Ref. 2). Males prepare and guard nests, while females migrate from one nest to another. Males guard the nest against juveniles of their own species and other species which feed on the fertilized eggs which fall from the mouth of the female mouth brooder (Ref. 11288).
Seegers, L. and H. Tichy, 1999. The Oreochromis alcalicus flock (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from lakes Natron and Magadi, Tanzania and Kenya, with descriptions of two new species. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 10(2):97-146. (Ref. 32272)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01622 (0.00701 - 0.03755), b=3.02 (2.82 - 3.22), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 2.7 ±0.21 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 (13 of 100) .
