Altolamprologus fasciatus

Altolamprologus fasciatus
Altolamprologus fasciatus
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe: Lamprologini
Genus: Altolamprologus
Species: A. fasciatus
Binomial name
Altolamprologus fasciatus
(Boulenger, 1898)
Synonyms

Neolamprologus fasciatus (Boulenger, 1898)

Altolamprologus fasciatus is a cichlid species in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where it is found in the waters of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.

This species is often placed in Neolamprologus. With its torpedo-like shape, is more similar to these than to the high-backed Altolamprologus. But in other respects it is a fairly typical Altolamprologus, and like the other two species of that genus a ferocious (for its size) carnivore preying on smaller fish such as juvenile cichlids[1]. Analysis of mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence data confirms that it is closer to Altolamprologus than to Neolamprologus, but still represents a lineage well distinct from the other Altolamprologus.[2]

The reason for these unclear relationships may be that the origin of A. fasciatus lies in hybridization of a female of the original Altolamprologus and a male of some other lineage of Lamprologini. Such an event would have happened long ago enough to arguably place A. fasciatus in a monotypic genus, though such inconvenient arrangements are generally avoided in taxonomy.

Alternatively, A. fasciatus could be an offshoot of its genus that has adapted to mimic Neolamprologus or similar cichlids which hunt invertebrates. Such fishes are not considered a threat by the prey of A. fasciatus, and thus the predator may be able to catch its prey unawares. But it not known whether A. fasciatus indeed represents a case of cryptic or other aggressive mimicry. Lepidiolamprologus mimicus – the only lamprologine for which aggressive mimicry has been confirmed as of mid-2008 – is a Batesian-Wallacian aggressive mimic; it appears similar to females of Paracyprichromis brieni and joins swarms of that species to feed on their young.[3]

Given the basal position of A. fasciatus in its genus, it may also be that there is really nothing unusual about this species: it might simply represent a missing link between the "typical" Altolamprologus and other lamprologines, retaining the shape of the latter while already possessing several other apomorphies of the former, and successful enough to persist for a long time in its ecological niche. Detailed studies of its anatomy, genetics, and behavior will probably be necessary to decide what the underlying reasons for this species' unusual appearance are.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Konings (1998)
  2. ^ Day et al. (2007)
  3. ^ Schelly et al. (2007)

References

  • Bigirimana, C. (2005). Neolamprologus fasciatus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 4 August 2007.
  • Day, Julia J.; Santini, Simona & Garcia-Moreno, Jaime (2007): Phylogenetic relationships of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid tribe Lamprologini: The story from mitochondrial DNA. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 45(2): 629–642. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.02.025
  • Konings, A. (1998): Tanganyikan cichlids in their natural habitat. Cichlid Press.
  • Schelly, Robert; Takahashi, Tetsumi; Bills, Roger & Hori, Michio (2007): The first case of aggressive mimicry among lamprologines in a new species of Lepidiolamprologus (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Tanganyika. Zootaxa 1638: 39–49. PDF abstract and first page text


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