Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Protomelas: Greek, protos = the first + Greek, melas, melanos = black (Ref. 45335).

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

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 9°S - 15°S

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

Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi. Only two specimens have been recorded.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4996)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10. Small with small mouth, resembles P. pleurotaenia in body form and coloration. Different from other members of genus because of the greatly enlarged molariform, pharyngeal teeth and from P. pleurotaenia in the larger eye, longer premaxillary pedicel and broader head and body.

One of the two specimens collected was from an extensive shallow sandy area with Vallisneria beds. Stomach content consisted of a gastropod and a ceratopogonid larva (Ref. 267).

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

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

Maréchal, C., 1991. Protomelas. p. 387-393. 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. 4996)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 20 June 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
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Abundance

Life cycle
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Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
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Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
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Anatomy
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Physiology
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Swimming type
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Genetics
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Stamps, coins, misc.

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00674 - 0.03099), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.2 ±0.4 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).

Protomelas macrodon Eccles, 1989