Melanochromis

Melanochromis
Male Golden Mbuna (Melanochromis auratus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Subfamily:	Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe:	Haplochromini
Genus:	Melanochromis Trewavas, 1935
Diversity
27 species

Melanochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa. It was established by Ethylwynn Trewavas in 1935. Ecologically, they belong to the rock-dwelling mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi.

Melanochromis are typically small, slim but muscular fishes with lengthwise stripes of black, yellow and blue. They usually display strong sexual dichromatism. They are very aggressive, particularly amongst conspecifics and similarly patterned heterospecifics (such as Julidochromis). Thus, though they are popular aquarium fishes, they are not suited for beginners and community tanks.

Species

The genus contains 27 species at present:^[1]

• Melanochromis auratus – Golden Mbuna, Auratus Cichlid, Malawi Golden Cichlid
• Melanochromis baliodigma
• Melanochromis benetos
• Melanochromis brevis
• Melanochromis chipokae
• Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos – Maingano
• Melanochromis dialeptos
• Melanochromis elastodema
• Melanochromis heterochromis
• Melanochromis interruptus
• Melanochromis joanjohnsonae – Pearl of Likoma
• Melanochromis johannii – Bluegrey Mbuna, Johanni Mbuna, electric blue johanni
• Melanochromis kaskazini Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer Jr, 2009
• Melanochromis lepidiadaptes
• Melanochromis loriae
• Melanochromis melanopterus
• Melanochromis mellitus
• Melanochromis mossambiquensis Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer Jr, 2009
• Melanochromis parallelus – Parallel-striped Mbuna
• Melanochromis perileucos
• Melanochromis perspicax Trewavas, 1935^{[verification needed]}
• Melanochromis robustus
• Melanochromis simulans
• Melanochromis vermivorus – Purple Mbuna
• Melanochromis wochepa Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer Jr, 2009
• Melanochromis xanthodigma

Footnotes

1. ^ FishBase [2009]

References

• FishBase [2009]: Melanochromis species. Retrieved 2009-OCT-03.

This Cichlidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Melanochromis Fish of Africa Cichlidae stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая? List of world cups and world championships Éragny-sur-Epte Look at other dictionaries: Melanochromis — cyaneorhabdos Systematik Ordnung: Barschartige (Perciformes) Unterordnung …   Deutsch Wikipedia Melanochromis — Melanochromis …   Wikipédia en Français Melanochromis — Melanochromis …   Wikipédia en Français Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos — Conservation status Vulnerable …   Wikipedia Melanochromis johannii — Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia Melanochromis baliodigma — Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia Melanochromis benetos — Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia Melanochromis brevis — Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia Melanochromis chipokae — Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia Melanochromis elastodema — Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”