Lamprologini

Lamprologus stappersi

The Lamprologini are a tribe of cichlids ( Cichlidae ). The vast majority of the approximately 90 species of Lamprologini lives endemic to Lake Tanganyika and there are a wide variety of ecological niches, but especially rock biotopes colonized. Make there about half of the cichlid. About 10 % of the species living in rivers that are related to Lake Tanganyika in combination, including the Congo. They are not like the majority of East African cichlids, mouth brooders, but substrate breeders and lay their eggs in caves and in crevices from.

Features

The Lamprologini are a very variable Buntbarschtribus. In most cases, the body is more or less elongate and brownish, yellowish or bluish black color, and sometimes a combination of these colors. Black or dark are usually vertical or horizontal stripes, bluish the unpaired fins and the under eye area. The scales are comb scales. In a longitudinal row on the sides of the body ( from the rear edge of the gill cover to the caudal fin ), there are 33-85 scales. The scales on the chest are usually smaller. You can also missing there. The lateral line is usually divided into two parts. The teeth are conical, four to eight enlarged canine teeth are often visible even when the mouth is closed. The dorsal fin has 17 to 25 spines, anal fin three to ten.

Genera

Of the species described so far Julidochromis, Lamprologus, Neolamprologus and Telmatochromis are not monophyletic.

Inside systematics

Within the Lamprologini can clearly distinguish two clades ((A) and ( B)). The first is characterized by a morphological feature, an ossified cartilage lip. It includes the hochrückige carnivore species Altolamprologus and the cylindrical Lepidiolamprologus species, while the so-called "snail cichlids " basal stand in the clade, but do not form a taxon. The clade was given in honor of the curator in the Department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, Melanie Stiassny named " Stiassna ". The second clade (B ) is comprised of various Neolamprologus and Lamprologus species, including those of the Congo, Chalinochromis, Julidochromis and Telmatochromis. A third clade ( C) in the mainly Neolamprologus species are gathered from deeper water layers of Lake Tanganyika, is less well secured.

The following simplified cladogram showing the probable relationships:

Neolamprologus similis

Neolamprologus multifasciatus

Lamprologus ocellatus

Neolamprologus brevis

Neolamprologus caudopunctatus

Lamprologus meleagris

Altolamprologus

Lepidiolamprologus

Neolamprologus species of deep water (including N. cylindricus )

Neolamprologus tretocephalus

Variabilichromis

Neolamprologus leleupi

Julidochromis dickfeldi

Chalinochromis

Julidochromis ornatus J. transcriptus

Lamprologus species of Congo

Telmatochromis vittatus

Julidochromis marlieri J. regani

Telmatochromis other species

Neolamprologus brichardi Group

Outer systematics

Sister group of the Lamprologini is the tribe Ectodini; the cichlids of this group live in the endemic Lake Tanganyika, but not in rocky habitats, but on and on sandy soils. The Ectodini species are mouth brooders.

Congo River Variabilichromis moorii Neolamprologus cylindricus Masked julie Convict julie Digital Object Identifier
497251
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