Pseudotropheus saulosi
| Pseudotropheus saulosi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| male (blue and black) and female (yellow) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Pseudotropheus |
| Species: | P. saulosi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudotropheus saulosi Konings, 1990 | |
Pseudotropheus saulosi is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa where it lives in areas with rocky substrates.[2] It is classified as a dwarf-mbuna and was first described by Ad Konings in 1990. It comes from an area of the lake called Taiwan Reef, and from nowhere else.[1] This fish can also be found in the aquarium trade.[3]
This species can reach a length of 8.6 cm (3.4 in) TL.[2] The fish are born yellow but as they reach maturity males turn blue with several vertical black bars. Less dominant males are paler blue and it is possible for some younger males to remain mixed in with the females, in typical yellow female dress.[3] When the dominant male leaves a certain group, one of these incognito males may color up and become dominant.
Pseudotropheus saulosi is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female holds the eggs in her mouth until the fry are able to swim. This normally takes 13—18 days.[3] The fish is vulnerable in the wild,[1] and efforts are currently under way to re-stock Taiwan Reef with captive bred individuals.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Kasembe, J. 2006. Pseudotropheus saulosi. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 27 May 2013.
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Pseudotropheus saulosi" in FishBase. April 2017 version.
- 1 2 3 Barber, P: Pseudotropheus saulosi. CichlidForum. Retrieved 16 April 2017.