Anomalochromis thomasi
Female
The African butterfly cichlid or Thomas ' superb bass ( Anomalochromis thomasi ) is a 6 to 8 cm long in West Africa from Guinea to western Liberia occurring freshwater fish of the family of cichlids and inhabited there small coastal rivers and streams.
Features
The African butterfly cichlid has a typical cichlid shape, similar to the genus Hemichromis, but remains smaller than the members of this genus. Dorsal and anal fin are slightly pointed, rounded tail fin. The coloring of the way, there are several well-known local variations is variable, with the animals from the southern Sierra Leone and neighboring Liberia are colored on the most contrasty. The basic color is light brown, beige to yellow. Horizontal rows of light blue gloss points extend over the sides of the body.
- Fins formula: Dorsal XIV-XV/8-10; Anal III/7-9.
Way of life
The African butterfly cichlid lives in small streams flow through the rain forest and scrubland. The waters are rich in oxygen, as a rule and run clear, soft and acidic water. The diet consists of small animals, small fish, algae, and especially snails, of which the fish despite their relatively small jaw itself can eat larger specimens.
Reproduction
The species shows a distinct brood care behavior, where the animals are monogamous breeders open. Spawned is preferred on large surfaces such as leaves or stones. The female defends the spawning against all possible enemies. The nests are up to 500 eggs in size. Gender differences can be seen only with difficulty and also only in adult animals, females are often contrasting colored and smaller than the males. After the larvae have hatched this several times reburied in hollows in the ground and still maintained after the free-swimming by both parents.
System
The species was described in 1915 as Paratilapia thomasi by the British ichthyologist George Albert Boulenger and named after the capture of the type specimens NW Thomas. In 1985, the species was provided by Peter Humphry Greenwood in the monotypic genus Anomalochromis. The genus name zetzt from the Greek " anomalos " ( = abnormal, irregular) and Chromis ( Riffbarschgattung in the formerly cichlids were filed ) and refers to an abnormality of the lateral line canal on the gill cover and the lower jaw. The African Butterfly Cichlid is most closely related to the members of the genus Hemichromis and forms of this genus the tribe Hemichromini. The two genera differ in the structure of the pharyngeal teeth. The African butterfly cichlid is not closely related to the South American butterfly cichlid ( Mikrogeophagus ramirezi ).