Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Haplochromis: Greek, Haploos = single + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Poll & Damas.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 1°N - 1°S
Africa: Lake Edward, Kazinga Channel and Lake George (Ref. 4983, 128436). In Lake George, rare outside of Kashaka Bay (Ref. 128436).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 128436)
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 28 - 31. Diagnosis: Haplochromis pharyngalis differs from all species from the Lake Edward system, except Haplochromis fuscus, by a rounded caudal fin; very small, round and depply embedded chest scales, 7-11 pectoral-pelvic scales; small nape scales, and dominant males with white-blue first ray of pelvic fins (Ref. 128436). It differs from H. fuscus by an acute vs. blunt snout with a more shallow inclination, 40°-45° vs. 45°-60°; rounded vs. nearly squared dental arcades; and fewer rowsof inner oral teeth, 2-3, rarely 4, vs. 4-5 (Ref. 128436). It shares with H. elegans and H. aeneocolor a generalised Haplochromis morphology; it differs from both by 3-5 vs. 2-3 infraorbital chekk scales, deeper cheeks, 24.0-31.2% of head length vs. 19.2-23.8% and 20.1-24.4%, slightly smaller eyes, 26.9-33.1% of head length vs. 29.9-36.2% and 29.7-35.0%, and dominant males with green-yellow vs. blue and yellow flanks, respectively (Ref. 128436). Some specimens from Lake Edward share with Haplochromis mylodon, Haplochromis concilians, Haplochromis placodus and Haplochromis malacophagus an enlarged pharyngeal apparatus set with molariform teeth; it differs from all by recurved vs. straight outer oral teeth and from H. mylodon and H. concilians by the colour pattern of dominant males with green-yellow vs. blue flanks and faint vs. well-defined nostril and interorbital stripes; the latter is also diagnostic in preserved specimens (Ref. 128436).
The stomachs of a small number of specimens which were examined contained both larval and emergent insects (Ref. 558). Specimens from Lake George insectivorous, those from Lake Edward both insectivorous and molluscivorous (Ref. 128436).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Mouthbrooding by females (Ref. 2059).
Vranken, A., M. Van Steenberge, A. Balagizi and J. Snoeks, 2020. The synonymy of Haplochromis pharyngalis and Haplochromis petronius (Cichlidae). J. Fish Biol. 97(5):1554-1559. (Ref. 128436)
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 = 0.5000 [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): 3.2 ±0.40 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).
