Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Etroplinae
Etymology: Paretroplus: Name from the Greek 'para' meaning 'on the side of'; in taxonomy it is commonly used in generic names to express similarity or relatedness; in the present case it would mean 'next to Etroplus' (S.Kullander, pers.comm. 3/11); loisellei: Named in honor of Dr. Paul V. Loiselle, emeritus curator of freshwater fishes at the New York Aquarium (WCS), for directing the attention to this new taxon, and in appreciation of his efforts to document, preserve, and educate the public regarding Madagascar's unique and severely threatened freshwater ichthyofauna (Ref. 86507).
Eponymy: Dr Paul V Loiselle is Emeritus Curator of Freshwater Fishes at the New York Aquarium and a very enthusiastic aquarist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: Mahanara River in Madagascar (Ref. 86507).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86507)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 18 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 8 - 10; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11; Vertebrae: 31 - 32. Diagnosis: This species of Paretroplus is distinguished from all congeners except its sister taxon, P. damii, by the presence of a triangular, black pectoral-axil patch in combination with the absence of a series of prominent vertical bars on the flank; in life, unstressed individuals of these two species can easily be distinguished from all congeners by the presence of a broad, vertical brick red or pale yellow band on the anterior half of the flank (Ref. 86507). Paretroplus loisellei is distinguished from P. damii by the presence of a more or less straight gular region in lateral view, vs. rounded and convex in P. damii, such that the ventral margins of the preopercle and interopercle are essentially horizontal; in P. loisellei the oral jaws are horizontally oriented, vs. strongly oblique; the lips are enlarged and fleshy, vs. thin; and the snout is elongate and curved, creating a beaked appearance, vs. short and straight; the enlarged symphyseal teeth in the upper jaw possess distinct, sharp lateral cusps, vs. poorly developed and rounded; owing to convex premaxillary pedicels, Paretroplus loisellei exhibits a prominent indentation marking the transition from the dorsal margin of the premaxillary ascending process to the supraoccipital crest (Ref. 86507). The base colouration in P. loisellei is uniform dark brownish-gray in preservation; whereas P. damii is considerably lighter golden brown overall and frequently retains a faint, pale broad band on the anterior region of the flank; Paretroplus loisellei exhibits a distinctive bright golden breeding colouration, vs. brick red (Ref. 86507).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Sparks, J.S. and R.C. Schelly, 2011. A new species of Paretroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae: Etroplinae) from northeastern Madagascar, with a phylogeny and revised diagnosis for the P. damii clade. Zootaxa 2768:55-68. (Ref. 86507)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.9 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
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).
