Metriaclima

Taxobox
name = "Metriaclima"

---

image_caption = "Metriaclima lombardoi"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Cichlidae
genus = "Metriaclima"
genus_authority = Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997

"Metriaclima" (type species: "Tilapia zebra", Boulenger 1899) is genus of African cichlid containing many of the species traditionally included in the genus "Pseudotropheus". [Konings A F & Stauffer J R (2006). "Revised diagnosis of" Metriaclima "(Teleostei: Cichlidae) with description of a new species from Lake Malawi National Park." Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, Vol. 17, No. 3. pp. 233-246] All "Metriaclima" are relatively small, colourful fish found only in Lake Malawi and many of which have some value as aquarium fish. [cite web|url=http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1179|title=New Metriaclima described|author=Matt Clarke|publisher=Practical Fishkeeping|accessdate=2007-03-02]

Current status

The status of "Metriaclima" is hotly contested. Many ichthyologists consider the name to be a junior synonym of "Maylandia" Meyer & Forester 1984. [cite web|url=http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Eschmeyer/GeneraSummary.cfm?ID=Metriaclima|title=Genera Reference - Detail|author=Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.|publisher=FishBase|accessdate=2007-03-02] [cite web|url= http://malawicichlids.com/mw01012.htm |title=Maylandia, Metriaclima, or Pseudotropheus? |author=Oliver MK.|accessdate=2007-03-02] [cite web|url= http://malawicichlids.com/mw17009.htm |title=Validity and availability of Maylandia — The technical details|author=Oliver MK.|accessdate=2007-03-02] However, this is far from universally accepted, the argument put forward by advocates of "Metriaclima" over "Maylandia" essentially being that "Maylandia" was inadequately defined in the original description making it impossible to securely attribute species to the genus, rendering the name "Maylandia" invalid under the ICZN rules for zoological nomenclature. [cite web|url=http://cichlidae.com/article.php?id=355|title=Maylandia or Metriaclima, ...again!|author=Ad Konings|publisher=The Cichlid Room|accessdate=2007-03-02]

ee also

*"Maylandia"
*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

References