Serranochromis macrocephalus, Purpleface largemouth : fisheries, gamefish

Serranochromis macrocephalus (Boulenger, 1899)

Purpleface largemouth
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Image of Serranochromis macrocephalus (Purpleface largemouth)
Serranochromis macrocephalus
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Serranochromis: Latin, serra = saw + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 11°S - 21°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the Cunene River system (Angola and Namibia); Okovango River and swamps; upper Zambezi system including Lake Cameia, Kafue River and Luangwa system (Ref. 5693). Luapula-Mweru, Lulua River, Angolan Kasai (upper and middle Congo River basin)(Ref. 5693, 97233) and Cuanza River in Angola (Ref. 120641).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 17.5, range 15 - 20 cm
Max length : 35.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7248); max. published weight: 1.5 kg (Ref. 5693); max. reported age: 6 years (Ref. 7248)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics


Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Common in a broad range of habitats from mainstream margins to floodplain channels and lagoons; preys on insects and small fish, including mormyrids and barbs, which are taken near the bottom; breeds in spring and early summer at low water before the annual floods arrive; relatively few eggs are laid and mouthbrooded; matures after 1-2 years (Ref. 7248). Agamous, maternal mouthbrooder (Ref. 52307). Also caught with drawnets.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

A mouth brooding species.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Skelton, P.H. and G.G. Teugels, 1991. Serranochromis. p. 442-453. 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. 5693)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 01 May 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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Occurrences
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
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Swimming type
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Visual pigments
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Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
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Heterozygosity
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Human related
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Aquaculture profiles
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Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
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References
References

Tools

Bio-Quiz | E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |