Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Haplochromis: Greek, Haploos = single + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335); relictidens: Specific name of Haplochromis relictidens derived from the Latin 'relinquere', to relinquish, and 'dens', tooth and used in apposition; it refers to the decrease in number of outer teeth in both jaws with size (Ref. 127594).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Lake Edward system (Ref. 127594).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 127594)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 29. Diagnosis: Haplochromis relictidens differs from all other known species from the Lake Edward system by its unique lower jaw morphology in large specimens of more than 90 mm standard length, with lower jaw acute and upper jaw rounded, rendering anterolateral parts of upper jaw visible in ventral view; outer teeth very small, blunt to rounded, widely and irregularly set, few (16-26 vs. 22-65), and decreasing in number with size (Ref. 127594). It differs further from H. taurinus, H. molossus, and H. gracilifur by its more slender and acute lower jaw, 50.1-59.7% of lower jaw length vs. 51.4-72.7%, 67.0-87.0% and 61.9-69.4%, respectively; its larger lachrymal bones, 15.8-18.4% of head length vs. 11.5-16.4%, 13.3-17.0% and 13.7-14.3%, respectively (Ref. 127594). It is further distinct from H. paradoxus by its broader head, 47.7-54.7% of head length vs. 41.7-51.2% (Ref. 127594). Mature males green-gold with bright red flanks and very faint vertical stripes vs. different colour pattern in all other paedophagous species (Ref. 127594).
This species has a paedophagous diet (Ref. 127594).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Vranken, N., M. Van Steenberge and J. Snoeks, 2019. Grasping ecological opportunities: not one but five paedophagous species of Haplochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae) in the Lake Edward system. Hydrobiologia 832(1):105-134. (Ref. 127594)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±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).