Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Copadichromis: Greek, kopas, -ados = carved + Chromis, see; ilesi: Named in honor of T.D. Iles, for his work on the 'Utaka' of Lake Malawi (Ref. 47113).
Eponymy: Thomas Derrick Iles (1927–2017) was a British fishery biologist and ichthyologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; depth range 7 - 30 m (Ref. 47113), usually ? - 15 m (Ref. 47113). Tropical
Africa: Lake Malawi.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 47113); 11.1 cm SL (female)
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11. Depth of body 2.6-2.9 times in SL; head length 3.1-3.4 times in SL (Ref. 47113). Eye diameter 2.9-3.2 times in HL; interorbital width 3.4-4.1 times in HL; premaxillary pedicel 2.4-3.1 times in HL and depth of preorbital 5.6-7.0 in HL (Ref. 47113). Teeth in 2 to 3 rows in upper and 3 to 4 rows in lower jaw (Ref. 47113). Males mostly with unicuspid teeth in all rows; in females outer rows contain unequally bicuspid and inner rows contain unequally tricuspid teeth (Ref. 47113). Length of pectoral fin 2.8-3.7 times in SL (Ref. 47113). Caudal peduncle 5.4-7.6 times in SL; peduncle depth 1.0-1.5 times in its length (Ref. 47113). Scales: 34-35 scales in a longitudinal series (Ref. 47113). Without spots on the flanks (Ref. 47113). Geographical variation seems to be restricted to the color of the blaze on the male's head and dorsal fin (Ref. 47113).
Associated with rocks (Ref. 54524). Males build their spawning sites at depths of approximately 25 meters or deeper; females, in particular mouth brooding females, can be found in shallower water, but they rarely venture into regions shallower than 10 meters (Ref. 47113).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
The spawning site usually is constructed under and against a rock or small group of rocks; the male excavates the sand from beneath the rock and heaps it up, building a semicircular wall around the spawning site, sometimes leaving just a narrow opening to the nest (Ref. 47113). The spawning sites are usually about 2 meters apart (Ref. 47113).
Konings, A., 1999. Descriptions of three new Copadichromis species (Labroidei; Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa. Trop. Fish Hobbyist 47(9):62-84. (Ref. 47113)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
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=0.01445 (0.00674 - 0.03099), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±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).
