Diplotaxodon apogon Turner & Stauffer, 1998

Family:  Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Max. size:  11.7 cm SL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 40.0 g
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 50 - 200 m
Distribution:  Africa: Lake Malawi.
Diagnosis:  Diagnosis: relatively large eyes, long lower jaw, great predorsal distance and short dorsal fin base; long pectoral fin, often reaching past the third anal fin spine (Ref. 55949). Description: deep-bodied; large eyes with diameter greater than snout length; prominent premaxillary pedicel; lower jaw protrudes slightly, sometimes clearly, beyond the upper jaw; mental process moderately prominent; pelvic fins short, often not reaching vent (Ref. 55949). Coloration: females and non-breeding males silvery and countershaded; males in breeding dress darker dorsally with silver flanks, a white belly and a broad white border to the dorsal fin, tappering from front to back so that the fin appears white at the front but black at the back; pelvic and anal fins generally dark; anal fin with 1-2 large, pale yellow eggspots (Ref. 55949).
Biology:  Deep-water species, usually found close to the bottom on shelf areas; zooplankton feeder (Ref. 55949).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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