Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Ptychochrominae
Etymology: Ptychochromis: Greek, ptyx, = fold + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335); insolitus: Name derived from the Latin, insolitus, meaning 'unusual, odd, queer', in reference to the somewhat atypical appearance of the species and the anomalous morphology of the aquarium raised specimens used for the original description (Ref. 57663).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: Madagascar.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 130676)
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 27. It is distinguished from congeners by a reduced number of precaudal vertebrae (12) and a reduced number of infraorbital elements (5), and also by the presence of a faint midlateral stripe, beginning just posterior to the dorsocaudal margin of the opercle and extending to caudal-fin origin (Ref. 57663). It is a comparatively shallow bodied and laterally compressed Ptychochromis (Ref. 57663). In life, base body coloration is silvery to silvery-golden, particularly below lateral midline; cheek and opercular series silvery; body golden with blackish speckles and blotches above midline, including nape, top of head, and infraorbital series; unpaired fins reddish, particularly distally, or dark gray; pectoral fins pale and reddish; pelvic fins pale reddish and may exhibit some black pigmentation along caudal margin (Ref. 57663). In preservative, ground coloration is pale yellowish-olive, with faint dark stripe present along lateral midline, more pronounced posteriorly; fins hyaline to pale yellowish-olive (Ref. 57663).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Stiassny, M.L.J. and J.S. Sparks, 2006. Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the endemic Malagasy genus Ptychochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with the description of five new species and a diagnosis for Katria, new genus. Am. Mus. Novit. 3535:1-55. (Ref. 57663)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01995 (0.00906 - 0.04395), b=3.01 (2.83 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 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 (15 of 100).