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Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Melanochromis: Greek, melas, melanos = black + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: This is a toponym referring to Chipoka Island, Lake Malawi, Malawi, the type locality. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Ambiente: milieu / zona climática / intervalo de profundidade / gama de distribuição
Ecologia
; Água doce demersal; pH range: 7.3 - 8.5; dH range: 7 - 18. Tropical; 24°C - 26°C (Ref. 2060); 13°S - 15°S
Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi (Ref. 5663, 89864).
Tamanho / Peso / Idade
Maturidade: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.0 cm SL macho/indeterminado; (Ref. 5663)
Descrição breve
Chaves de identificação | Morfologia | Morfometria
Espinhos dorsais (total) : 17 - 18; Raios dorsais moles (total) : 8 - 9; Espinhos anais: 3; Raios anais moles: 7 - 8. Diagnosis: Females and subadults of Melanochromis chipokae are distinguished from those of all other Melanochromis species by a yellow ground colour and a black submarginal band in the dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 89864). Male M. chipokae in breeding colour have a blue occipital region, a dark-blue/black body with two wide, light-blue horizontal stripes, and a blue dorsal fin with a wide white margin; they differ from males of most Melanochromis species with a similar colour pattern, except M. robustus and M. heterochromis, by the blue occipital region that is black or gray in M. melanopterus, M. vermivorus, M. simulans, M. loriae, M. robustus and M. mossambiquensis (Ref. 89864). Melanochromis chipokae males and females differ from M. robustus by a narrower interorbital width, 17.5-23.3% of head length vas. 26.1-29.6%, and from M. heterochromis by a longer lower jaw, 36.5-38.9% of head length vs. 29.3-34.6% (Ref. 89864).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
It prefers sandy patches among rock (Ref. 5595). In general, only solitary individuals are encountered, wandering through the intermediate habitat searching for larger invertebrates and, perhaps, small fishes (Ref. 89864). It may have suffered over-fishing by collectors of ornamental fishes because this species was rather common in the aquarium hobby more than 20 years ago (Ref. 89864).
Ciclo de vida e comportamento de acasalamento
Maturidade | Reprodução | Desova | Ovos | Fecundidade | Larvas
Female is mouthbrooder.
Maréchal, C., 1991. Melanochromis. p. 258-265. 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. 5663)
Categoria na Lista Vermelha da IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Ameaça para o homem
Harmless
Utilização humana
Aquário: Espécies comerciais
Ferramentas
Relatórios especiais
Descarregue XML
Fontes da internet
Estimativas baseadas em modelos
Índice de diversidade filogenética (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00671 - 0.03113), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Nível Trófico (Ref.
69278): 4.2 ±0.73 se; based on food items.
Resiliência (Ref.
120179): Elevada, tempo mínimo de duplicação da população menor que 15 meses (tm<1).
Vulnerabilidade da pesca (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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