|
Dorsal spines (total): 17-19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-8. Diagnosis: All diagnostic characteristics of Labeotropheus present: steely sloping head; broad, fleshy snout; wide jaws with retrognathous lower jaw; mouth is inferior and subterminal (Ref. 111073). Labeotropheus chlorosiglos differs from L. fuelleborni and L. trewavasae by its intermediate body depth, 31.9-34.7% of standard length vs. 35.1-41.6% in L. fuelleborni and 26.3-33.3% in L. trewavasae; and its generally wider interorbital width, 40.6-43.5% of head length vs. 36.0-42.8% in L. fuelleborni and 29.6-40.5% in L. trewavasae; it further differs from both L. fuelleborni and L. trewavasae due to its intermediate lower jaw length, 42.1-47.6% of head length vs. 45.3-53.8% in L. fuelleborni and 34.7-43.9% in L. trewavasae; and male nuptial colour pattern, presence of yellow-orange patch on ventral portion of flank in L. chlorosiglos vs. solid blue body and fins in L. fuelleborni and solid blue body and fins or blue body and fins covered in small, irregular black spots in L. trewavasae (Ref. 111073). It differs from L. trewavasae by the following combination of characteristics: greater distance between the origin of the dorsal fin and the origin of the anal fin, 51.3-54.6% of standard length vs. 46.7-51.6% in L. trewavasae; greater distance between the insertion of the dorsal fin and the origin of the anal fin, 29.1-33.2% of standard length vs. 26.2-29.1% in L. trewavasae; and a deeper head, 40.6-43.5% of head length vs. 29.6-40.5% in L. trewavasae; it may also differ from L. trewavasae in the colour of the opercular tab, metallic green in L. chlorosiglos while it appears to be a metallic blue in L. trewavasae (Ref. 111073). It differs from L. fuelleborni due to its smaller opercular tab width, 14.7-15.7% of head length vs. 16.2-18.2%; smaller pectoral width, 12.7-14.3% of head length vs. 15.0-16.9%; greater number of ceratobranchial gill rakers, 8-10 vs. 7-8; and fewer number of scale rows between the pectoral and pelvic fins, 6-9 vs. 9-12; also, individuals of L. chlorosiglos always have more scale rows between the dorsal fin and lateral line, 8-10, than scale rows between the pectoral and pelvic fins, 6-9, while individuals of L. fuelleborni always have more scale rows between the pectoral and pelvic fins, 9-12, than scale rows between the dorsal fin and lateral line, 9-10 (Ref. 111073).
Description: Body long and moderately deep; body depth 31.9-34.7% of standard length, and distance between dorsal-fin insertion and anal-fin insertion 15.5-16.8% of standard length; body also slender; width at opercular tabs 14.7-15.7% of head length and width at pectoral fins 12.7-14.3% of head length (Ref. 111073). Pectoral fins relatively long, 22.4-26.0% of standard length, rounded, 13-15 rays; pelvic fins long, especially in mature males, reaching anal-fin origin and sometimes beyond (Ref. 11073). Head of typical length for Labeotropheus, head length 28.7-31.9% of standard length; head relatively deep, head depth 99.3-108% of head length; snout relatively long and wide; snout length 29.7-33.1% of head length, snout width 38.1-40.8% of head length; snout pad of moderate length, 12.1-15.9% of head length; oral jaws compact: lower jaws short but wide, 24.3-28.2% of head length and 43.7-47.9% of head length respectively; but lateral length of mandible relatively long, 18.8-22.8% of head length; both upper and lower jaws with 5-7 tows of teeth; 30-37 teeth present in left half of first row of lower jaw, 4-13 teeth on lateral portion of left upper jaw (Ref. 111073). Gill rakers stout, triangular, and widely spaced; 8-10 ceratobranchial and 2 epibranchial gill rakers present on first gill arch; 1 raker between the cerato- and epibranchial rakers (Ref. 111073). Anterior lateral line scales 22-24; posterior lateral line scales 10-13; overlapping lateral line scales 0-2; dorso-lateral scale rows 8-10; pectoral-pelvic scale rows 6-9; cheek scale rows 3-4 (Ref. 111073).
Colouration: Breeding males dark blue ground colour with two distinct colour patches: a narrow, sky blue patch on the dorsum overlying a ventral yellow-orange patch; scales in the ventral patch can vary from solid yellow-orange to yellow-orange with a blue patch on the exposed, more distal portion, to blue with the slighest orange highlights; depends largely upon social status of the individual, with dominant territorial males displaying more yellow-orange pigmentation; a series of 11 faint bars occasionally visible across the flank, also depending upon activity state; bars more obvious in subordinate or frightened individuals; head is the same sky blue as the dorsum, but becomes darker blue towards the snout, with dusky gray interorbital bars; regions between the interorbital bars iridescent blue; operculum blue fading to iridescent blue-white margin on the distal edge; opercular tab is a bright metallic green; dorsal fin sky blue at anteriormost portion, fading to iridescent blue-white, which in turn fades to yellow at distal end; no obvious submarginal band, but tips of this fin are yellow-orange, especially in dominant, territorial males; anal fin is iridescent white or bluish-white, with at least one to several, 7-15, yellow egg spots on ventral and distal portions; pectoral fins hyaline; pectoral-fin rays are gray; pelvic fins with white leading edge and a black submarginal band; trailing portion of pelvic fins vary from dusky gray to white to orange-red, faint yellow ocelli may be present in territorial males (Ref. 111073). In preservative, males uniform gray or brown, with 11 flank bars slightly more obvious than in living specimens; gray individuals may also have brownish pigmentation along ventral portion of flank (Ref. 111073). Mature females uniform grayish or golden-brown; scales on the ventral portion of flank can have yellow-orange highlights; eleven faint bars present along flank, the visibility of which depends upon activity state; head grayish-brown, becoming somewhat darker towards snout; interorbital bars gray-brown with intervening iridescent patches; operculum uniform gray-brown with bright metallic green opercular tab; dorsal fin dark grayish-black at anteriormost portion, becoming an iridescent bluish-gray, then darker at posterior portion; anal fin dusky, iridescent gray; some individuals have a small number, 1-4, of yellow-orange egg spots on ventral and distal portions; pectoral-fin membranes hyaline, pectoral rays gray; pelvic fins with a white leading edge and black submarginal band; trailing portion of pelvic fins varies from dusky gray to white to yellow-orange (Ref. 111073). In preservative, females uniform gray or brown, with 11 flank bars slightly more obvious than in living specimens (Ref. 111073). |