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Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Protomelas: Greek, protos = the first + Greek, melas, melanos = black (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Trewavas.
Entorno: milieu / zona climática / rango de profundidad / gama de distribución
Ecología
; agua dulce bentopelágico. Tropical; 24°C - 26°C (Ref. 2059); 9°S - 15°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi where it is widely distributed.
Tamaño / Peso / Edad
Madurez: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.3 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 4996)
Descripción breve
Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría
Espinas dorsales (total) : 16 - 17; Radios blandos dorsales (total) : 10 - 11; Espinas anales: 3; Radios blandos anales: 9 - 10; Vértebra: 31. Resembles P. fenestratus in form and in ecology, but differs from it in having a larger eye and consequently narrower preorbital, in the more numerous teeth in the upper jaw and on the lower pharyngeal, the higher number of gill rakers, the anterior of which, although short, are acute and well defined and in the higher modal number of dorsal spines. Differs from P. virgatus in the absence of enlarged pharyngeal teeth.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
Inhabits shallow, rocky sediment-free habitat. Feeds on 'aufwuchs' attached to rocks, but also takes small invertebrates, including zooplankton when this is abundant (Ref. 267).
Ciclo vital y comportamiento de apareamiento
Madurez | Reproducción | Puesta | Huevos | Fecundidad | Larva
Parents practice co-operative care of young by grouping together and setting up protective stations close to one another; releasing their young and embarking upon parental care. Every protective mantle is very close to the next in such a way that young can move from one parent to the next.
Maréchal, C., 1991. Protomelas. p. 387-393. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 4996)
Situación en la Lista Roja de la UICN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Amenaza para el ser humano
Harmless
Usos humanos
Pesquerías: comercial; Acuario: Comercial
Herramientas
Informes especiales
Descargar XML
Fuentes de Internet
Estimaciones basadas en modelos
Índice de diversidad filogenética (Referencia
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00671 - 0.03113), b=2.99 (2.82 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Nivel trófico (Referencia
69278): 3.2 ±0.37 se; based on food items.
Resiliencia (Referencia
120179): Alto, población duplicada en un tiempo mínimo inferior a 15 meses (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerabilidad pesquera (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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