Labeotropheus alticodia Phiri & Pauers, 2023

Family:  Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Max. size:  8.55 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Africa: Malawi.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 16-17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-8. Diagnosis: Labeotropheus alticodia differs from the slender-bodied Labeotropheus, , L. simoneae, L. chirangali and L. rubidorsalis, as well as L. chlorosiglos, due to its greater body depth, 37.4-40.6% of standard length vs. 26.3-33.4% in L. trewavasae, 26.9-30.8% in L. simoneae, 26.6-33.2% in L. chirangali, 31.6-36.1% in L. rubidorsalis, 31.9-34.7% in L. chlorosiglos; it also differs from the slender Labeotropheus due to a greater distance between the insertion of the dorsal fin and the insertion of the anal fin, 16.4-18.1% of standard length vs. 12.7-15.5% in L. trewavasae, 14.6-16.0% in L. simoneae, 13.7-15.7% in L. chirangali, 13.5-15.7% in L. rubidorsalis (Ref. 128773). Labeotropheus alticodia differs from all other robust-bodied Labeotropheus, except L. fuelleborni, by the nuptial colouration of the males: male L. alticodia have a pale, powder-blue body, and the dorsal and caudal fins are whitish blue with yellow trailing edges, while the anal fin is a pale yellow orange; additionally, the pelvic fins are a pale yellow orange with white leading edges; the morphometric and meristic values largely overlap with the other robust Labeotropheus, with the following exceptions: L. alticodia differs from L. fuelleborni due to a longer distance between the tip of the snout and the origin of the dorsal fin, 33.6-35.9% of standard length vs. 30.8-33.7%, a longer rostral length, 42.0-48.8% of head length vs. 40.4-42.0%, a shorter upper jaw, 14.4-20.1% of head length vs. 20.2-23.9%, and a smaller snout pad, 11.6-14.8% of head length vs. 14.9-17.2%; it differs from L. artatorostris due to a deeper preorbital depth, 26.9-34.5% of head length vs. 19.7-26.8%, and a typically longer rostral length, 42.0-48.4% of head length vs. 22.9-43.7%; it differs from L. candipygia by greater distances between the insertion of the dorsal fin and the insertion of the anal fin, 16.4-18.1% of standard length vs. 13.9-16.7%, as well as between the insertion of the dorsal fin and the origin of the anal fin, 31.3-32.9% of standard length vs. 27.4-31.7%; it differs from L. aurantinfra by a greater distance between the tip of the snout and the attachment of the pelvic fins, 41.0-49.1% of standard length vs. 36.9-43.7%, a greater preorbital depth, 26.9-34.5% of head length vs. 21.3-31.7%, and a greater snout length, 30.4-35.7% of head length vs. 26.7-33.1%; finally, it differs from L. obscurus due to a smaller eye diameter, 24.9-27.5% of head length vs. 27.3-32.4%, and more teeth in the left half of the lower jaw, 29-35 vs. 20-26 (Ref. 128773).

Description: Body compressiform; ovoid to almost rectangular in shape; body deep, 37.4-40.6% of standard length, and consistently deep throughout its length; anterior body wide at pectoral fin and opercular tab (Ref. 128773). Scales on belly and anterior abdomen cycloid and tightly crowded; flank scales ctenoid; exposed portion of scale fan-shaped and approximately hexagonal; anterior lateral line overlapping posterior lateral line by 0-4 scales; anterior lateral line scales 21-24, posterior lateral line scales 11-13; dorso-lateral scale rows 9-10; pectoro-pelvic scale rows 10-12 (Ref. 128773). Dorsal fin relatively short for Labeotropheus, 55.8-60.2% of standard length, with 16-17 spines and 8-9 rays; first dorsal spine opposite opercular tab; dorsal rays 3, 4, 5 long, reaching to hypural plate and beyond; anal fin angular and kite-shaped; anal-fin rays 3 and 4 long, reaching past caudal peduncle to caudal fin; anal-fin origin opposite dorsal-fin spine 14 or 15; anal-fin insertion anterior to dorsal-fin insertion; caudal fin subtruncate; pectoral fin rounded; pelvic fin long, minimally reaching origin of anal fin and longer in most specimens; males with filamentous pelvic rays, females non-filamentous; attachment of pelvic fin opposite dorsal-fin spine 5 or 6 (Ref. 128773). Head of typical length for Labeotropheus, 31.8-33.4% of standard length, but deep with strongly curved profile and slightly developed snout; snout long and wide with snout pad of typical length for Labeotropheus, 11.6-14.8% of head length; cheek with 3 scale rows; infraorbital pores 9, with 23-38 neuromasts among them; oral jaws short and wide; oral teeth tricuspid and closely set on both upper and lower jaws; 7-10 tricuspid teeth on lateral portion of left upper jaw (Ref. 128773). Gill rakers stout, triangular, and widely spaced; 6-8 ceratobranchial and 2-3 epibranchial gill rakers on first gill arch; all specimens with 1 raker between the cerato- and epibranchial rakers (Ref. 128773).

Colouration: Colouration of males: craniofacial region, from snout to preopercle, dark blue; operculum greyish blue with bright metallic green opercular tab; throat and branchiostegals white; flank and caudal peduncle pale powder blue; 11 faint darker blue bars visible across flank and caudal peduncle; dorsal and caudal fins whitish blue with yellow or orange trailing edges; spinous anal fin pale orange; rayed portion white with 3-5 orange-yellow eggspots; trailing portion of pelvic fin hyaline with white leading edge, and pale orange between (Ref. 128773). Colouration of females: head, body, caudal peduncle uniformly light grey, with 11 faint dark bars extending across flank and caudal peduncle; opercular tab black; scales of flank and caudal peduncle with small orange spots close to insertion of scale; throat and branchiostegals white; dorsal fin white with orange tips; some specimens with orange spots throughout fin, some specimens with orange trailing edge; caudal fin brownish grey, some specimens with orange trailing edge; rayed anal fin pale brownish orange with 1-2 yellow eggspots; spinous portion white; pelvic fin white or hyaline, with bright white leading edge and pale orange between (Ref. 128773). In preservative: males uniformly dark brown or grey with 11 faint vertical bars visible across flank and caudal peduncle on some specimens; females uniformly dark brown or grey with 11 faint vertical bars visible across flank and caudal peduncle on some specimens (Ref. 128773).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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