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); katunzii: This species is named in honour of Mr. Egid F.B. Katunzi, the Director of the Mwanza Centre of the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI); Mr. Katunzi has collaborated with the Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team (HEST) of Leiden University since 1979, when he did his MSc. study on food preferences of four haplochromine species from the Mwanza Gulf; Mr. Katunzi published several papers on Lake Victoria haplochromines; during the past thirty years he has continuously supported the fieldwork of HEST (Ref. 85523).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; depth range 2 - 15 m (Ref. 85523). Tropical
Africa: Lake Victoria (Ref. 85523).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85523)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 28 - 31. Diagnosis: Haplochromis katunzii belongs to an assemblage of small sized (less than 9 cm standard length), relatively deep-bodied (body depth larger than 35% of standard length) micrognathic species with a moderately curved to straight dorsal head profile; the fish in this group have relatively small, mainly bicuspid, teeth in the oral jaws (Ref. 85523). It can be distinguished from Haplochromis paropius, Haplochromis cinctus and Haplochromis antleter by live colouration of sexually active males: Haplochromis katunzii is sandy-brown, and has rather distinct vertical bars; H. antleter is dusky coloured, has faint vertical bars and no or a faint lachrymal stripe; H. cinctus has a red dorsum, an orange to yellowish flank and dark vertical bars; H. paropius has a red dorsum, a greenish flank and is the only species of the assemblage that often has a mid-lateral band (Ref. 85523). Haplochromis katunzii has a larger cheek depth, 18.6-24.6% of head length, than H. antleter, 16.1-21.1% of head length, as well as a more pronounced mental prominence on the lower jaw; and it has a smaller interorbital width, 19.2-24.1% of head length, than H. cinctus, 24.3-27.2% of head length (Ref. 85523).
A benthic species found in sub-littoral areas of the Mwanza Gulf, mainly over mud bottoms; the depth range is 2-15 m (Ref. 85523). Before the ecological changes in Lake Victoria, this species fed mainly on detritus, but also included phytoplankton, insect larvae and copepods in its diet (Ref. 85523). Based on the egg dummies on the anal fin it is supposed to be a female mouth brooder (Ref. 85523).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Based on the egg dummies on the anal fin it is supposed to be a female mouth brooder (Ref. 85523).
de Zeeuw, M.P., M. Mietes, P. Niemantsverdriet, S. ter Huurne and F. Witte, 2010. Seven new species of detritivorous and phytoplanktivorous haplochromines from Lake Victoria. Zool. Meded. Leiden 84:201-250. (Ref. 85523)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
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