Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Mchenga: Name from Chichewa, the indigenous language of Malawi; mchenga (sand), was chosen to indicate the type of bowers constructed by the members of this genus. Gender is feminine..
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 9°S - 15°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi; known only from the types.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4979)
Diagnosis: 15-16 gill rakers on first ceratobranchial; preorbital 16.7-17.5% HL; teeth in outer rows on dentary and premaxilla of mature males small and bicuspid (Ref. 57549).
Feeds on plankton, and basied on the shape and the silvery coloration, probably lives over sand in the open water (Ref. 5595).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Maréchal, C., 1991. Copadichromis. p. 51-58. 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. 4979)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5156 [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): 3.4 ±0.45 se; based on food items.
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).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 641 [120, 1,692] mg/100g; Iron = 4.09 [1.08, 11.81] mg/100g; Protein = 18 [17, 20] %; Omega3 = 0.448 [0.149, 1.389] g/100g; Selenium = 37.8 [15.1, 88.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 160 [35, 546] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.77 [1.78, 4.34] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.