Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Oreochromis: Latin, aurum = gold + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Malagarasi River and marginal waters of Lake Tanganyika near Kigoma in Tanzania (Ref. 118638) and Burundi (Ref. 54847).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 27.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 118638)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12; Vertebrae: 29 - 30. Diagnosis: A large bodied Oreochromis, characterised by a deep body, short snout and 3-4 blotches on the flank coupled with around 6 faint wide vertical bars (Ref. 118638). It is a tasselled species, resembling Oreochromis upembae from which it differs in the following features: mid-lateral blotches present as in O. upembae, caudal fin either without spots or with a few irregularly arranged or in quincunx; caudal rays variously scaly but the inter-radial membranes usually free of scales; vertebrae 29-30; scales in lateral line series 30-32; dorsal spines XVI-XVII, soft rays 12-13; and outer teeth mainly bicuspid, but often including a few tricuspids (Ref. 2). With grey/green fins and flanks; male dorsal and caudal fins have red/orange margins; ripening males reported to be dark green-grey, possibly almost black (Ref. 118638).
Inhabits rivers and swamps (Ref. 4967). It feeds on the soft, flocculent bottom deposits, which consisted of finely divided plant material and many protozoa, bacteria, algae and detritus (Ref. 2, 52307); the young were feeding on fish offal near canoe-landings (Ref. 2). A maternal mouthbrooder (Ref. 118638). A locally important species in artisanal fisheries (Ref. 118638); it contributes to swamp fishery (Ref. 4967). Recorded from aquaculture ponds near Kigoma (Ref. 118638).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
A maternal mouthbrooder (Ref. 118638). In various aquarium observations, male builds shallow spawning nests; female deposits eggs in nest; male fertilizes eggs; female takes eggs in mouth; female swallows additional sperms (Ref. 37042).
Genner, M.J., G.F. Turner and B.P. Ngatunga, 2018. A guide to the tilapia fishes of Tanzania. Martin J. Genner, George F. Turner and Benjamin P. Ngatunga, August 2018. 29 p. (Ref. 118638)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
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).
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (17 of 100).
