Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Xenotilapia: Greek, xenos = strange + Bechuana, African native thiape = fish (Ref. 45335); rotundiventralis: rotundiventralis is derived from the Latin rotundus for round and ventralis for pelvic, in reference to its rounded distal margin of pelvic fin.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; depth range 9 - 11 m (Ref. 26454). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 12468)
Africa: endemic to Lake Tanganyika, present in the southern and southeastern part of the lake (Ref. 46829).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26454)
Occurs in shallow, intermediate habitats where the bottom is mainly sand with some rocks (Ref. 46829). Forms slow-moving schools (Ref. 26454) of sometimes more than 1.000 individuals (Ref. 26454, 46829). Feed exclusively on zooplankton (Ref. 26454, 46829) and pick out individual organisms with their rather protractible mouths (Ref. 46829). Parental mouthbrooding is very common by both male and female adults; the young, of about 6 mm SL, are solely mouthbrooded by females; young which had become separated from the parent are found with other cichlid broods e.g. Lepidiolamprologus elongatus and Perissodus microlepis (Ref. 26454).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Takahashi, T., Y. Yanagisawa and K. Nakaya, 1997. Microdontochromis rotundiventralis, a new cichlid fish (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Tanganyika. Ichthyol. Res. 44(2):109-117. (Ref. 26454)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [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), in cm total length, 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.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).