Copadichromis

Copadichromis borleyi

Copadichromis ( Gr. " kopadi " = school ( of fish ) ) is a genus of African cichlids, which is endemic in Malawi, the upper Shire and in Malombesee in East Africa. Together with the six species of the genus Mchenga forms Copadichromis the group of Utaka ( local name) who do not live directly on the coast, but in large flocks in the open water.

Features

Depending on the type Copadichromis species can be 9-19 inches long. Her body is slender and laterally flattened considerably. The caudal fin is large and often slightly indented. A characteristic feature of the genus is the small, specialized for the plankton jaw, which can be pre- Everts jerky tubular so that a vacuum is created in the mouth, which sucks the prey. Your coloring is usually silvery gray outside the breeding season.

Way of life

Copadichromis species are not bound like the Mbuna to rock habitats, but live in sometimes very large, several thousand individuals and also different kinds extensive shoals in the open water, but close to the rocky shore or sandy soils. They feed on small planktonic crustaceans that they fixing vorstreckbaren against the current and floating with her big eyes with their long, tubular mouth snapped. Like almost all cichlids of Lake Malawi are mouth brooders Copadichromis species. Drag to propagation time almost all types near the shore and the males are site- faithful over sandy soils, show a bright breeding coloration and build wells in sand that is spawned. The females take the eggs then in the mouth. Since the individual species spawn at the same time, formed after the end of parental care large flocks of equal-sized juveniles, draw into the open waters.

Species

So far, 25 species have been described:

  • Copadichromis atripinnis Stauffer & Sato, 2002
  • Copadichromis azureus Konings, 1990
  • Copadichromis Boadzulu ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis borleyi ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis chizumuluensis Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis chrysonotus ( Boulenger, 1908)
  • Copadichromis cyaneus ( Trewavas, 1935)
  • Copadichromis cyanocephalus Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis diplostigma Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis geertsi Konings, 1999
  • Copadichromis ilesi Konings, 1999
  • Copadichromis insularis Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis jacksoni ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis likomae ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis mbenjii Konings, 1990
  • Copadichromis melas Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis mloto ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis nkatae ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis parvus Stauffer & Konings, 2006
  • Copadichromis pleurostigma ( Trewavas, 1935)
  • Copadichromis pleurostigmoides ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis prostoma ( Trewavas, 1935)
  • Copadichromis quadrimaculatus ( Regan, 1922) ( type species )
  • Copadichromis trewavasae Konings, 1999
  • Copadichromis trimaculatus ( Iles, 1960)
  • Copadichromis verduyni Konings, 1990
  • Copadichromis virginalis ( Iles, 1960)
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