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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); wochepa: The specific epithet, a noun in apposition, is derived from Chinyanja, the local language.
around the lake, and means “small” referring to the small adult size of this species.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecologia
; Água doce bentopelágico. Tropical; 13°S - 14°S, 34°E - 35°E
Africa: endemic to lake Malawi (Ref. 80784, 89864)
Tamanho / Peso / Idade
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.5 cm SL macho/indeterminado; (Ref. 80784)
Descrição suscinta
Chaves de identificação | Morfologia | Morfometria
Melanochromis wochepa is distinguished from its congeners, except M. auratus, M. dialeptos, and M. mossambiquensis, by a steeper-angled vomer (72–80° vs. 35–53°). It is distinguished from M. auratus, M. dialeptos, and M. mossambiquensis by the male coloration pattern which is blue without white stripes and which is brown/black with yellow and pale-blue stripes in males of the other species. Female M. wochepa are distinguished from M. auratus by a submarginal dorsal band that is wider than the mid-lateral and the dorsolateral stripe. The abdominal yellow stripes in female M. wochepa are thin and never cover the entire lower abdomen, while those in female M. auratus usually cover the entire lower half of the body. M. wochepa is further distinguished from M. dialeptos by a longer head (30.2–33.3 vs. 29.8–31.4 % SL), a deeper body (30.2–34.7 vs. 26.8–31.8 % SL), by a larger distance between the posterior dorsal and pelvic fin (53.3–59.8 % vs. 49.8–55.8 % SL), by a longer pectoral fin (22.8–33.0 % vs. 19.5–24.3 % SL), and by more dorsal-fin rays(7–10 (mode 9) vs. 7–9 (mode 7)). It is further distinguished from M. mossambiquensis by a deeper body as expressed in a larger distance between the origins of the dorsal and anal fins (49.6–54.5 % vs. 47.1–50.8 % SL) and a larger distance between the origins of the dorsal and pelvic fins (30.1–36.4 % vs. 27.6–33.4 % SL), and by a shorter lower jaw (26.7–32.5 % vs. 29.0–41.5 % HL).
Occurs in shallow, rocky habitat; mostly seen solitary; not uncommon; males do not defend territory, but displays between males are frequent and short of duration; feeds from aufwuchs on rocks from which it picks algal strands and diatoms (Ref. 80784).
Ciclo de vida ou comportamento de acasalamento
Maturidade | Reprodução | Desova | Ovos | Fecundidade | Larvas
Konings-Dudin, G, A.F. Konings and J.R. Stauffer Jr., 2009. Descriptions of three new species of Melanochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae) and a redescription of M. vermivorus. Zootaxa 2076:37-59. (Ref. 80784)
Status na Lista Vermelha da UICN (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Ameaça para os humanos
Harmless
Uso pelos humanos
Ferramentas
Relatórios especiais
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Fontes da internet
Estimates based on models
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 (0.00674 - 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).
Nível Trófico (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
