Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Diplotaxodon: Greek, diploos = twice + Greek, taxis = disposition + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 20 - 220 m (Ref. 94786). Tropical, preferred ?
Africa: Lake Malawi.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 14.5  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55949); max. published weight: 60.00 g (Ref. )
Diagnosis: more slender and elongate than congenerics, with smaller head, eyes and mouth; ripe males with yellow-white dorsal "blaze" (Ref. 55949).
Found inshore and offshore, on reefs and over the shelf; abundant over the anoxic zone; female mouthbrooder (Ref. 55949). Zooplanktivorous; probably the most abundant species in Lake Malawi (Ref. 94786).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Males in breeding dress were found throughout the year; ripe adults and mouthbrooding females were recorded at depths of 50-125m; largest fry found in the mouth of females were 3cm TL, but a maximum of only 1-2 such large fry were found per female; juveniles of 40-50mm were found in many locations (Ref. 55949).
Turner, G.F., 1994. Description of a commercially important pelagic species of the genus Diplotaxodon (Pisces: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa. J. Fish Biol. 44(5):799-807. (Ref. 36759)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
More information
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.00709 - 0.03231), b=2.97 (2.80 - 3.14), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.46 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (22 of 100) .