Steatocranus

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Steatocranus

Steatocranus tinanti

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Steatocranus

Species

See text.

Steatocranus (Boulenger, 1899) is a small genus of rheophilic cichlid fish endemic to the Congo River, although one species, Steatocranus irevinei, occurs in west Africa. The genus currently includes 9 species, all of which have relatively reduced swim bladder function. The name Steatocranus refers to the fatty deposit on the forehead of most species. Two species, Steatocranus casuarius (also known as the lionhead, blockhead or humphead) and Steatocranus tinanti are relatively common in the aquarium trade. As for other cichlids brood care is highly developed and both sexes are involved in raising the young. All Steatocranus species are secretive cave spawners and form monogamous pairs for breeding. The female is more actively involved in fry raising, while the male is primarily concerned with territorial defence.