Amphilophus

Lemon cichlid ( Amphilophus citrinellum )

Amphilophus is a genus of Central American cichlids. The genus comes from Mexico to Panama in rivers and in the larger lakes and crater lakes of Nicaragua before. Flussbewohnende species are usually limited to the Atlantic or the Pacific side of the Central American land bridge or on a river system. The scientific name of the genus comes from the Greek ( " amphi " = both sides; " Lophos " = Hahnenkamm ) and refers to the thick lips of the type species Amphilophus labiatus.

Features

Amphilophus species are 13 to 30 inches long. Her figure corresponds to the chichlasominen basic pattern is flattened high backs and sides. The muzzle is deep and terminally. The males are aged considerably larger than the females, seem beefy and often develop a nuchal hump. As with all cichlids, the fifth gill arch is transformed into a pharyngeal jaw in Amphilophus species. This can be built very differently. There are Amphilophus species with " molariform ", ie with rounded "back tooth-like " teeth occupied pharyngeal jaws, which allow the housing of snails and shells to crack, or " papilliforme " with small, sharp teeth occupied pharyngeal jaws that are capable of to eat mostly insects or crustaceans.

Reproduction

Amphilophus species are open breeders that form a family parents, ie Females and males practice brood care of together. The nest is very extensive. Depending on the temperature, the larvae hatch after 3-4 days and swim further 4 to 5 days off later. They are watching closely by parents and cared for. In Amphilophus citrinellus was observed that the young fish eat the body mucus of the parents. In the mucus elevated levels of prolactin, growth hormone and thyroxine were found. For the body mucus with the colostrum of mammals is comparable. The accelerated by the growth hormones reduces the time window of the predator- prey system in the distribution area. In order to form thyroxine, iodine must be sufficient in water; in many fresh waters the concentration is too low. Since the Central American plate was lifted out of the ocean, most of the lakes are still actually brackish water lakes (eg Apoyo, Xiloá, Lake Nicaragua ).

Species

So far, over 25 species have been described:

  • Amphilophus Alfari (Meek, 1907)
  • Amphilophus altifrons ( Kner, 1863)
  • Amphilophus bussingi Loiselle, 1997
  • Amphilophus calobrensis (Meek & Hildebrand, 1913)
  • Amphilophus citrinellus ( Günther, 1864)
  • Amphilophus Diquis Bussing, 1974
  • Amphilophus hogaboomorum ( Carr & Giovannoli, 1950)
  • Amphilophus labiatus ( Günther, 1864); Type species, Nicaragua and Lake Managua.
  • Amphilophus longimanus ( Günther, 1867)
  • Amphilophus lyonsi ( Gosse, 1966)
  • Amphilophus macracanthus ( Günther, 1864)
  • Amphilophus margaritifer ( Günther, 1862); Petén Itzá lake.
  • Amphilophus nourissati ( Allgayer, 1989)
  • Amphilophus Rhytisma ( López, 1983)
  • Amphilophus robert soni ( Regan, 1905)
  • Amphilophus rostratus ( Gill, 1877)
  • Amphilophus tolteca Recknagel et al, 2013 ( Asososcasee in Managua)

Monophyletic species flock of Lake Apoyo:

  • Amphilophus astorquii Stauffer, McCrary & Black, 2008
  • Amphilophus chancho Stauffer, McCrary & Black, 2008
  • Amphilophus flaveolus Stauffer, McCrary & Black, 2008
  • Amphilophus globosus Geiger, McCrary, & Stauffer, 2010
  • Amphilophus supercilius Geiger, McCrary, & Stauffer, 2010
  • Amphilophus zaliosus ( Barlow, 1976)

Monophyletic species flock of Lake Xiloá:

  • Amphilophus amarillo Stauffer & McKaye, 2002
  • Amphilophus sagittae Stauffer & McKaye, 2002
  • Amphilophus viridis Recknagel et al, 2013
  • Amphilophus xiloaensis Stauffer & McKaye, 2002

Sympatric speciation

In the small Nicaraguan crater lakes Apoyo and Xiloá each several very closely related species of the genus occur Amphilophus derived from each type of immigrant. The Amphilophus species in these lakes differ not only in color, but also significantly in their morphology, particularly the pharyngeal jaw, and ecological niche. A. zaliosus from the Apoyosee lives usually in more open and deeper water than the other Amphilophus species in this lake. The species can be clearly distinguished by genetic markers and must be developed in less than 23,000 years, the time since the formation of the lake into independent species. The Xiloásee is even only 10,000 years old. Since an allopatric speciation in these small crater lakes can be excluded with their homogeneous habitat, this Amphilophus species ( the emergence of new species in the field of Ursprungsart (s) ) serve as a model example of sympatric speciation.

Cichlinae Heroini Pharyngeal teeth Digital Object Identifier FishBase
59094
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