Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Cichlinae
Etymology: Congolapia: Congolapia is a contraction of the words Congo and Tilapia; all species of Congolapia are only known from the central Congo basin.
More on author: Pellegrin.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: central Congo River basin in the western Cuvette Centrale and central Cuvette Centrale, including the rivers Alima, Lefini, lower Sangha, Ruki and Maringa (Ref. 55074, 74387, 92878), in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Congo.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 92878)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: differs from C. crassa and C. louna by having 1 complete scale row and 1 additional scale row with smaller dorso-ventrally compressed scales between upper lateral line and base of last dorsal spine (vs. 2 complete scale rows and 1 additional row of very small scales in-between); differs from C. crassa by a shallower body with only a minimal overlap, 32.2-40.5% SL vs. 40.4-48.4%; and from C. louna by a shorter last dorsal spine, 9.4-12.2% SL vs. 12.9-15.0%; all scales cycloid; 26-27 scales on horizontal line; 17-22 upper lateral line scales; 8-11 lower lateral line scales (Ref. 92878).
Found in swampy forested zones (Ref. 52307) in grass-bank as well as forest-bank habitats, during the dry as well as the wet season (Ref. 92878). Pair-bonding, open substratum spawner with both parents guarding their fry (Ref. 52307).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Teugels, G.G. and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1991. Tilapia. p. 482-508. 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. 5163)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.03311 (0.01745 - 0.06285), b=3.03 (2.87 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.7 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 (11 of 100).
