Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Petrotilapia: Latin,petra = stone + Bechuana, African native thiape = fish (Ref. 45335); mumboensis: The name mumboensis is in reference to Mumbo Island, Malawi where this species is very common and from where the holotype was collected. An adjective (Ref. 87181).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical, preferred ?; 13°S - 14°S, 34°E - 35°E
Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi, known from Mumbo, Thumbi West and Mbenji islands (Ref. 87181).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 87181)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
The dark submarginal band in the spinous part of the dorsal fin of both male and female distinguishes P. mumboensis from P. tridentiger, P. xanthos, P. flaviventris, and P. palingnathos, which lack such a band. Males of P. mumboensis are light blue with 8-10 dark blue vertical bars, light blue cheek, and a light blue to gray gular region, which distinguishes it from P. genalutea, P. nigra, P. chrysos, P. microgalana, and P. pyroscelos. Petrotilapia genalutea are dull gray-blue with 5-7 black vertical bars with orange-yellow cheek and a black throat. Males of P. nigra and P. chrysos are predominantly blue-black with 7-10 gray/brown bars, have a dark blue cheek, and a black throat. Males of P. microgalana are bright blue with 5-7 faint black vertical bars, and have a light blue cheek and a yellow throat while those of P. pyroscelos are blue with bronze highlights and have a red pelvic fin. Females of P. mumboensis are graybrown to light brown with a conspicuous black submarginal band in the dorsal fin and are distinguished from those of P. genalutea, P. nigra, P. chrysos, and P. microgalana by the lack of horizontal elements in the pigmentation pattern on the flank and from females of P. pyroscelos, which are brown with faint blue and yellow highlights and often have dorso-lateral series of faint spots (Ref. 87181).
Restricted to islands and reefs (Ref. 87181). Petrotilapia species have fleshy lips with numerous slender teeth that are used to comb the algae on rocks for diatoms and loose algal strands (Ref. 6256, 87181). Adult Petrotilapia males establish territories; females, juveniles, and non-territorial males are found either singly or in schools throughout the rocky habitat (Ref. 6256).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lundeba, M., J.R. Stauffer Jr. and A. F. Konings, 2011. Five new species of the genus Petrotilapia (Teleostei: Cichlidae), from Lake Malawi, Africa. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 22(2): 149-168 (Ref. 87181)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries:
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
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 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01479 (0.00693 - 0.03157), b=2.97 (2.80 - 3.14), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (15 of 100) .
