Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

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Tropheus polli 'Mahale Mountains NP'.jpg Tropheus sp. 'kirschfleck' Mahale Mountains NP.jpg Tylochromis polylepis 'Mahale Mountains NP'.jpg Xenotilapia flavipinnis 'Mahale Mountains NP'.jpg Xenotilapia ochrogenys 'Mahale Mountains NP'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageTylochromis polylepis 'Mahale Mountains NP'
Tribe / Genus: Tylochromini / Tylochromis
Type locality: Albertville, Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of Congo
Biotope: Shallow intermediate habitats of Lake Tanganyika, occurring mainly near river mouths, lagoons, and swampy inshore areas with sandy or muddy substrates.
Geographic distribution: Lake Tanganyika and adjacent river systems connected to the lake, particularly near inflowing and outflowing rivers.
Typical adult size: Up to about 33 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Differences between the sexes are minimal. Males show a golden nape and shoulder separated from the silvery flank by a dark bar, while females are silvery with faint vertical barring. There is no size difference between sexes.
Diet: Generalized benthic feeder. Consumes invertebrates, including small mollusks, and ingests sand while feeding from the bottom; higher plants such as Vallisneria may also be taken.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. Spawning occurs without defended territories; the male courts the female with brief quivering displays. Females have been found holding up to 100–300 eggs or fry, which are released after a brooding period of about three weeks.
Aggression: Males are not territorial and do not construct or defend spawning sites. Mouthbrooding females may gather in large groups.
Special notes: Often regarded as transitional between riverine and lacustrine cichlids, occurring in the lake mainly near river mouths but also upstream in rivers.
Molecular studies indicate that this species colonized Lake Tanganyika relatively recently and evolved outside the lake’s main endemic radiations.

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Photo: © Evert van Ammelrooy
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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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