| Main Ref. | Trewavas, E., 1983 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Diagnosis: upper profile of snout straight or slightly arched; head length 32.5-39.0% SL; 27-30 total dorsal-fin rays (average 28-29); body depth 39.5-48.5% SL; length of pectoral fins over 43% SL; interorbital space 32.0-38.0% HL (Ref. 53405). Description: outer jaw teeth bicuspid, inner jaw teeth tricuspid, posterior teeth on pharyngeal jaw bicuspid; micro-gillrakers present; scales cycloid (Ref. 53405). Coloration: in life: Adults: sides and fins light silvery-grey (unlike other cichlids occurring in the same water basins); belly white (Ref. 53405). Young individuals: silvery, with some narrow black cross bars on sides; fins greyish, upper margin of dorsal fin red-edged (Ref. 53405). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 2 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 28 - 31 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | absent |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 20 - 25 |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 27 - 29 |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 |
| Ventral 0 | |
| Spines total | 14 - 16 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 14 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 11 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |