Diagnosis: Haplochromis concilians differs from all species of Haplochromis by skin covering snout thickened and usually merged with upper lip, by which snout and lip form an uninterrupted surface and anterior outer teeth in lower jaw located distinctly buccaly, hereby leaving labialmost part of lower jaw edentulous (Ref. 126074). Within Lake Edward system, it shares with H. erutus, H. planus, H. eduardianus and H. labiatus short and stout jaws and large or more strongly developed lips; it differs from all by a shorter premaxillary pedical, 16.1-21.6% of head length vs. 21.4-24.0%, 21.924.4%, 21.8-26.4% and 24.0-27.6% respectively; and hypertrophied pharyngeal jaws set with molariform teeth vs. more slender jaws set with, at most, stout teeth (Ref. 126074). It further differs from H. erutus by straight and unicuspid outer teeth vs. recurved and bicuspid; from H. eduardianus by mostly prognathous vs. retrognathous jaws and straight and conical outer teeth vs. recurved and spoon-shaped; and from H. labiatus by a steeper head, 60°-75° vs. 40°-55°, mostly prognathous vs. iso- to retrognathous jaws and anteriormost outer teeth in lower jaw implanted upright vs. procumbent (Ref. 126074).

Description: Small species with a relatively slender body; head blunt and strongly convex, snout short and steep, sloping at 60°-75°, eyes relatively large and cheeks deep (Ref. 126074). Jaws short, nearly horizontal with a gape inclination of 10°-20° and pro- to rarely isognathous; maxilla extends to region between anterior margin of orbit and pupil; dentary, premaxilla and maxilla thickened and stout; dentary deep over entire length and with anteriormost part slightly curving downwards; premaxilla weakly protrusible; premaxillary pedicel short and at an angle of 90°-115° to dentigerous arms; ventralmost part of maxilla over entire length uncovered by lacrimal bone when mouth closed; snout tissue above upper lip thickened and, in about 80% of specimens, fused with upper lip to form an uninterrupted surface; lips and oral mucosa strongly thickened, thereby often concealing the prognathous lower jaw (Ref. 126074). Neurocranium with strongly compressed anterior part and a wedge-shaped supraoccipital crest; chest scales small; size transition to flank scales gradual (Ref. 126074). Outer oral teeth large, stout and blunt; necks long, cylindrical and straight; crowns in large specimens of more than 65 mm standard length unicuspid with rarely some (weakly) bicuspid teeth posteriorly; in small specimens less than 65 mm standard length crowns (weakly) bicuspid; major cusps conical, stout and blunt; if present, minor cusps small, stout and upright; dental arcades long and more broadly curved in upper than in lower jaw; relatively few outer teeth with straight implantations, deeply embedded in the oral mucosa, closely set with an inter-tooth distance of half a tooth width and outer teeth strongly decrease in size posteriorly; posteriormost outer teeth very small in both jaws; in lower jaw, anterior outer teeth located distinctly buccally, thereby leaving anteriormost part of lower jaw edentulous and lower lip seems to extend relatively deep into buccal cavity; tooth bands in both jaws crescent shaped, anteriorly with 2-3 rows of inner teeth, well separated from outer rows by distances of 1-2 outer tooth widths; inner tooth rows abruptly narrow posterolaterally; as such only outer rows remain over posterior quarters in both jaws; inner teeth relatively large, stout and blunt; anteriormost inner teeth unicuspid, more posterior inner teeth small and tricuspid (Ref. 126074). Lower pharyngeal bone broad, stout, deep and with keel slightly deeper than posterior part of bone; teeth set in 19-22 rows, four medial tooth rows with molariform teeth, all other teeth stout with blunt major cusps and reduced to absent minor cusps, except for slender postero-lateralmost teeth (Ref. 126074). Gill rakers on outer row of first gill arch short, stout, unifid and triangular (Ref. 126074). Caudal fin weakly emarginate; dorsal and anal fins reach level between caudal fin base and one scale anterior to this point; pectoral fins reach level between anus and first anal fin spine; pelvic fins between second spine and first branched ray of anal fin in males, between anus and third anal fin spine in females (Ref. 126074). Upper lateral line scales 19-23; lower lateral line scales 7-13; upper transverse-line scales 5-7; lower transverse-line scales 9-12; caudal peduncle scales 16; scales between pectoral and pelvic fins 6-9; cheek scales 2-4/7-12 (Ref. 126074).

Colouration: Colouration of live dominant males: body silver-blue, ventral part of body dusky turquoise, except chest whitish; flank with 4-6 vertical stripes, 2-3 anteriormost stripes dark and extend to dorsal part of body, remaining stripes iridescent turquoise and fainter; an interrupted and faint mid-lateral stripe may be present on flank; head pale turquoise, snout light blue, dorsal part of head with a purple sheen and branchiostegal rays black; nostril, interorbital, supraorbital and lacrimal stripes and a nape band well-defined; dorsal fin hyaline and with a dusky base, crimson lappets (extensions of membrane between spines) and a crimson and maculated posterior part; caudal and anal fins crimson, dorsal fin with a maculated posterior part, anal fin with a black posterior margin and 2-3 large orange egg spots that each span two fin rays; pelvic fins black and pectoral fins hyaline (Ref. 126074). Colouration in live females and juveniles: flanks faint beige-gold; ventral part of body beige-white, snout and dorsal part of head grey with a slight blue hue; in some specimens 4-6 faint stripes on flanks; caudal fin dusky with hints of yellow, orange, or crimson; dorsal fin dusky with black lappets; dorsal part of caudal fin and posterior part of dorsal fin maculated; pelvic, pectoral and anal fins hyaline, anal fin with 2-3 small yellow spots resembling egg spots (Ref. 126074). Colouration in alcohol: body brown dorsally, grey ventrally; nostril, interorbital, supraorbital and lacrimal stripes and a nape band distinct and clearly delineated; flanks with 4-6 well-defined vertical stripes in dominant males, faint to absent in females and juveniles; dorsal fin dusky and with a dark base and dark lappets in anterior part; posterior part of dorsal fin and, in some specimens, dorsal part of caudal fin maculated; pectoral, anal and caudal fins yellowish, anal fin in dominant males with dark posterior margin and 2-3 large egg spots; pelvic fins black in dominant males, yellowish in females (Ref. 126074).