You can sponsor this page

Oreochromis squamipinnis (Günther, 1864)

Kasawala
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Google image
Image of Oreochromis squamipinnis (Kasawala)
Oreochromis squamipinnis
Male picture by FAO

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Oreochromis: Latin, aurum = gold + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 9°S - 15°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Lake Malawi and its catchment (Ref. 118630), including crater lakes Kingiri, Ilamba and Massoko (Ref. 118638) and Upper Shire River (Ref. 37112).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 26.9, range 20 - 37 cm
Max length : 36.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Diagnosis: A heavily-built large tilapia species with a wide rounded head; dwarf populations exist in some crater lakes, showing bony 'hunger-form' body shape (Ref. 118638). Females and juveniles with grey bodies and 6 or more vertical bars; males have a bright blue, occasionally white or green, 'mask' across the head; when fully ripe, the underside of most of the body can be black, with the upper surface a conspicuous white to pale blue; genital tassel can be long and branched, pinkish to bright yellow; females and non-territorial males are indistinguishable from Oreochromis karongae (Ref. 118638).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A semi-pelagic species (Ref. 4967), found in all kinds of habitats but seen mostly in shallow water; it is abundant in the southeastern arm of Lake Malawi, where it occurs in shallow, vegetated bays (Ref. 5595). It feeds on phytoplankton and sometimes from the sediment on the sand; diatoms constitute the major part of its diet (Ref. 5595). Major component of the fisheries catch in Lake Malawi (Ref. 118638). IUCN conservation status is endangered, due to declining population trend (Ref. 118638).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Mating behavior includes the T-stand, both partners alternately forming the horizontal part of the T. Eggs are laid in batches and immediately picked up by the female. Fertilization takes place both on the ground and in the mouth. Females brood eggs/young, guarding their fry until about 15 mm (Ref. 2781).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Trewavas, E., 1983. Tilapiine fishes of the genera Sarotherodon, Oreochromis and Danakilia. British Mus. Nat. Hist., London, UK. 583 p. (Ref. 2)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Critically Endangered (CR) (A2d); Date assessed: 22 May 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
References
References

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01698 (0.00875 - 0.03297), b=2.98 (2.82 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.1   ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.24-0.45; tm=3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 15.4 [6.5, 81.6] mg/100g; Iron = 1.23 [0.56, 2.94] mg/100g; Protein = 17.9 [16.3, 19.8] %; Omega3 = 0.387 [0.135, 1.078] g/100g; Selenium = 75.2 [28.6, 173.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 22 [5, 89] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.12 [1.16, 4.98] mg/100g (wet weight);