Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Spathodus: Greek, spathe = sword + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335). More on author: Boulenger.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 7.2 - 8.5; dH range: 10 - 20; depth range ? - 1 m. Tropical; 25°C - 27°C (Ref. 2060), preferred ?; 3°S - 7°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika except the southern end.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5695)
Mostly seen in less than a foot of water, this species is found at the very edge of the pebble or rubble shoreline. Feeds by picking microorganisms from the rock biocover (Ref. 6770).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Female is mouthbrooder, but male takes care of the young as soon as they are released from the female's mouth.
Maréchal, C. and M. Poll, 1991. Spathodus. p. 458-459. 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. 5695)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Aquarium: commercial
More information
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.45 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 (10 of 100) .