Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Rhamphochromis: Greek, rhamphos = bill, peak + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Boulenger.

Issue
Quote Turner et al. (Ref. 55949): "We consider that both R. leptosoma and R. melanotus are probably junior synonyms of R. esox. If this is accepted, R. esox can be considered the most distinctive and readily identified species of the genus."

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 7.4 - 8.5; dH range: 5 - 30; depth range 2 - 65 m (Ref. 55949). Tropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 13614); 9°S - 15°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 19 - ? cm
Max length : 42.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55949)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Diagnosis: elongated and very streamlined shape; body in cross-section more rounded than congenerics; frequently exhibits a horizontal stripe (Ref. 55949).

Inhabits the open water (Ref. 5595). Widely distributed in shelf and rocky reef zones, usually where the bottom is fairly shallow; rarely found offshore; small juveniles widely distributed in the littoral zone in swampy, sandy and rocky habitats; adults regularly encountered near sandy beaches in the shallows (Ref. 55949). Feeds on fish species like the small Utaka and the lake sardine Usipa (Engraulicypris sardella) (Ref. 5595).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Maréchal, C., 1991. Rhamphochromis. p. 422-424. 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. 5689)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2d); Date assessed: 23 May 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos

Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths

Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities

Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

Outreach
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Taxonomy
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Morphology
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References
References

Tools

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.2 ±0.73 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Rhamphochromis esox (Boulenger, 1908)