Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Astatotilapia: Greek, astato = unstable + Bechuana, African native thiape = fish (Ref. 45335).
Issue
This species is placed in the genus Haplochromis Hilgendorf, 1888 in Eschmeyer (CofF ver. Mar. 2011: Ref. 86697). We keep the lacustrine and riverine "Haplochromine" species in the genus Haplochromis only for the Lake Victoria catchment following Van Oijen et al. (1996: Ref. 12750), until a new complete taxonomic revision is published.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical, preferred ?; 14°S - 16°S
Africa: Lakes Chilwa and Chiuta and in flowing rivers.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 49182)
Inhabits swampy lakes and slow streams (Ref. 4967). The maximum length of 110 cm given by Eccles (1992) [Ref. 4967] is apparently a mistake, maybe for 11.0 cm.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Mouthbrooding by females.
van Oijen, M.J.P., J. Snoeks, P.H. Skelton, C. Maréchal and G.G. Teugels, 1991. Haplochromis. p. 100-184. 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. 4983)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5039 [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): 3.0 ±0.3 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 (13 of 100) .