Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Haplochromis: Greek, Haploos = single + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335); pelagicus: Specific name from Latin 'pelagicus', pelagic; referring to its occurrence in open waters of lakes Edward and George and the Kazinga Channel (Ref. 128938).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: Lake Edward system.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 128938)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 30 - 32. Diagnosis: Haplochromis pelagicus is a species with a very shallow body, body depth 25.4-30.7% of standard length; long and very shallow caudal peduncle, caudal peduncle length 17.2-20.1% of standard length, caudal peduncle depth 49.4-66.3% of caudal peduncle length; short upper jaw compared to lower jaw, upper jaw length 63.4-71.5% of lower jaw length; mostly inverted-triangular shaped head in anterior view with a very narrow lower jaw, lower jaw width 31.1-36.5% of lower jaw length; posterior 1/4-1/5 of premaxillary dentigerous arm often edentulous; many gill rakers, 14-18 (Ref. 128938). It differs from H. aureus by a shallower body, body depth 25.4-30.7% of standard length vs. 30.7-33.5%; shorter upper jaw, upper jaw length 26.5-29.0% of head length vs. 29.3-35.6%; more gill rakers, 14-18 vs. 12-14; dominant males with iridescent silver vs. yellow snout and cheeks, and hyaline vs. dusky and crimson anal fin (Ref. 128938). It is very similar to H. pappenheimi and differs from it by anal fin hyaline to rarely faint dusky vs. dark-dusky; major cusps of outer oral teeth bluntly vs. acutely pointed, and with a small to large flange vs. with no to a small flange, rarely a large flange; anterior outer oral teeth including rarely some vs. often several tricuspid teeth; dominant males differ further from those of H. pappenheimi by anal and caudal fins hyaline vs. crimson; belly and chest light-coloured vs. belly dark-coloured and chest speckled-black; cheek light-coloured with a very well-defined lacrimal stripe vs. dark-coloured with a well-defined lacrimal stripe; pelvic fin slightly shorter, pelvic fin length of males 23.3-27.0% of standard length vs. 25.2-33.5% (Ref. 128938).
Abundant in upper water layers of deepwater regions of Lake Edward, occasionally found in upper water layers of sublittoral areas of lakes Edward and George and Kazinga Channel (Ref. 128938). It feeds on copepods and chaoborid larvae, pupae and emerging adults (Ref. 128938).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Vranken, N., M. Van Steenberge, M. Mbalassa and J. Snoeks, 2023. Just below the surface, the pelagic haplochromine cichlids from the Lake Edward system. Hydrobiologia 850:3173-3195. (Ref. 128938)
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 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 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 (10 of 100).
