Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Cichlinae
Etymology: Congolapia: Congolapia is a contraction of the words Congo and Tilapia; all species of Congolapia are only known from the central Congo basin..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: the western central Congo basin (Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo), from the Alima, Lefini, Sangha, Pool Malebo, Itimbiri and from affluents of Luilaka (Ref. 92878).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 92878)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. Diagnosis: Congolapia crassa differs from C. bilineata by having two complete scale rows between the upper lateral line and the base of the last dorsal spine and one additional row of very small scales in-between vs. one complete scale row and one additional scale row with smaller dorsoventrally compressed scales between the upper lateral line and the base of the last dorsal spine (Ref. 92878). It is distinguished from C. louna by a lower number of gill rakers on first ceratobranchial, 8-11 vs. 13 (Ref. 92878). Further, C. crassa differs from C. bilineata and C. louna by a greater body depth with only a minimal overlap, 40.4-48.4% of standard length vs. 32-2-40.5% and 37.4-42.1% respectively (Ref. 92878). All scales cycloid; 25-27 scales on horizontal line; 18-21 upper lateral line scales; 8-11 lower lateral line scales (Ref. 92878).
Colour: Background colour reddish-brown to bluish, chest and belly light brown to whitish with small reddish elements and dorsum darker brown, especially in range of backward slanted, unbranched (not Y-shaped) bars; flank below lateral line more bluish; lower half of head light brown to reddish and upper half of head dark olive-brown; upper lip turquoise and lower lip whitish; a horizontal iridescent turquoise line above anterorostral margin of preopercle; base of pectoral fin whitish edged; iris reddish brown (Ref. 92878). Apparently depending on motivational state, body with five or six black, broad, backward slanted, unbranched (not Y-shaped) bars and a nape band; bluish thin lachrymal stripe extending from lachrymal to jaw angle; black opercular spot, extended into sloping stripe (Ref. 92878). Pectoral fin light yellowish to hyaline, pelvic and anal fin greenish yellow; dorsal fin reddish-brown to yellow-whitiwh edged, black 'tilapia spot' present; caudal fin reddish-brown to yellow, whitish edged (Ref. 92878).
Congolapia crassa is found in grass-bank as well as forest-bank habitats, and this during the dry as well as wet season (Ref. 92878).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Dunz, A.R., E. Vreven and U.K. Schliewen, 2012. Congolapia, a new cichlid genus from the central Congo basin (Perciformes: Cichlidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 23(2):155-179. (Ref. 92878)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
