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Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Coelotilapia: "The genus name Coelotilapia Mayland, 1995 was introduced in a popular aquarium book, but it is not available, because it was treated as a questionable new genus, but was described as a generic name under Tilapia and not used in the combination Coelotilapia joka. The name was chosen to refer to the cave-breeding habit, but Mayland refers to the Latin word coelestis, which mean celestial. Very likely he thought of the Greek word ‘koiloma’, which means cavity.".
Eponymy: Joris Thys van den Audenaerde is the describer’s son. We assume that ‘Joka’ is a nickname, as the etymology says: “dedicated to my young son Joris.” (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

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

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 12. Tropical; 23°C - 25°C (Ref. 2060)

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

Africa: lower courses of rivers from Sierra Leone and western Liberia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5163)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: micro-gillrakers absent (Ref. 52307, 53405). Small-sized specimens; dorsal fin with 15-17 spines and 11-13 soft rays (mean 17.12); anal fin with 3 spines and 8-9 soft rays; narrow scaly sheet at the base of anal fin; 7-9 lower gill-rakers (Ref. 53405).

Mainly feeds on plants, preferring algae; pair-bonding, open substrate spawner with both parents guarding the brood (Ref. 52307).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Female lays around 200 eggs inside the male's cave. Both parents care for their young.

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

Dunz, A.R. and U.K. Schliewen, 2013. Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the haplotilapiine cichlid fishes formerly referred to as "Tilapia". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 68(1):64-80. (Ref. 93285)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Endangered (EN) (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)); Date assessed: 06 May 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 1.0000 [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): 3.3 ±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).

Coelotilapia joka (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1969)