Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Oreochromis: Latin, aurum = gold + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
Issue
Turner and Robinson 1991 (Ref. 55079) conclude that Oreochromis saka is a junior synonym of O. karongae (also Ref. 6150), although Turner et al. 1989 (Ref. 40180) reported O. squamipinnis to be most similar to O. saka and O. karongae the most divergent (also Ref. 55954).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 9°S - 15°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 29.0, range 25 - ? cm
Max length : 36.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 30 - 32. Breeding males black, in some with white or yellowish dorsal lappets. Testes broad, white and sinuous when fully ripe. Lower pharyngeal toothed area with concave sides; median length of bone 1.2-1.3 times its width and 35.5-39.2 % length of head; blade 1.3-2.1 times median length of toothed area. Caudal fin scaly.
Occurs at a temperature range of 21.5-29.0 °C (Ref. 2). Inhabits very shallow and vegetated regions. Feeds on diatoms and debris collected from the bottom and from between vegetation (Ref. 5595).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Forms breeding colonies in water of 2 to 4 m depth off reedy shores.
Trewavas, E. and G.G. Teugels, 1991. Oreochromis. p. 307-346. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Checklist of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 5166)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
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=0.01514 (0.00684 - 0.03349), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 2.0 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.56-0.72; tm=3; tmax=5).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (23 of 100).
