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
Africa: Cunene River system (Angola and Namibia), Okavango River, upper Zambezi, and Kafue Rivers (Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe)(Ref. 5693), and Luapula-Moeru (Congo River system)(Ref. 361, 11970, 41590, 42135, 45616) in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 20.0, range 18 - 22.5 cm
Max length : 41.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7248); max. published weight: 2.5 kg (Ref. 5693); max. reported age: 9 years (Ref. 7248)
Occurs in well-vegetated swamps and along the edges of rivers (Ref. 6465). Also occurs in fast-flowing reaches over sand and rocks (Ref. 6465, 52307). Feeds primarily on small fish (Ref. 6465, 52307), also on shrimps and insects (Ref. 6465). A female (Ref. 52307) mouthbrooder which breeds in spring (Ref. 6465). Aalso caught with drawnets (Ref. 6465).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Female incubates eggs in her mouth. Parental care is exercised for a short while after hatching when the juveniles move off to shallow grassy areas and there they remain, in the Upper Zambezi, until floodwaters recede and force them back to the main river. They seek refuge in lagoons and backwaters until reaching a size large enough to avoid predation by tigerfish in the open waters of the river.
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 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01259 (0.00694 - 0.02284), b=3.01 (2.86 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.80 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.10-0.65; tm=3; tmax=8.50).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (25 of 100).
