Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Maylandia: In honour of Hans J. Mayland, German ictiologist (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 8.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19; depth range 6 - 28 m. Tropical; 22°C - 28°C (Ref. 1672), preferred ?; 8°S - 15°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi. Occurs on the northwestern coast between Cape Manulo and Kande Islands. Also found on Jalo Reef, at Namalenje Islands, Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay, Boadzulu Islands and Nkopola. On the eastern part, occurs at Fort Maguire, Masinje on Likoma and Chisumulu Islands (Ref. 5595).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5684)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 16 - 19;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 7-10;
Anal
spines: 3-4;
Anal
soft rays: 6 - 9. Diagnosis: head moderately sloped; rostral tip of the neurocranium swollen; jaws isognathus; outer rows of the jaws with bicuspid teeth; absence of any interrupted pigment in the pale blue dorsal fin in combination with black bars on a blue ground; gill rakers on first ceratobranchial 8-14; gill rakers on first epibranchial 1-3 (Ref. 27596). Females with gray/blue to blue/brown ground color and no yellow pigment in unpaired fins, ocelli in anal fin present (Ref. 76849).
Found in rocky areas which may be sediment-free and shallow or sediment-rich at somewhat deeper levels. Feeds at right angles with the substrate by combing loose material from the biocover. Also feeds on plankton in the open water (Ref. 5595).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Produces up to 60 eggs.
Stauffer, J.R. Jr., N.J. Bowers, K.A. Kellogg and K.R. McKaye, 1997. A revision of the blue-black Pseudotropheus zebra (Teleostei: Cichlidae) complex from Lake Malawi, Africa, with a description of a new genus and ten new species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 148:189-230. (Ref. 27596)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Aquarium: highly commercial
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [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): 2.3 ±0.1 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (15 of 100) .
