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; louna: The species name louna refers to the Louna River, type locality of this species; a noun in apposition (Ref. 92878).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: only known from the Louna River (Lefini River affluent, middle Congo River basin) in Republic of Congo (Ref. 92878).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 92878)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: Congolapia louna differs from C. bilineata and C. crassa by having more gill rakers on first ceratobranchial, 13 vs. 8-10 in C. bilineata and 8-11 in C. crassa (Ref. 92878). It further 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 dorso-ventrally compressed scales between the upper lateral line and the base of the last dorsal spine; and a longer last dorsal spine, 12.9-15.0% of standard length vs. 9.4-13.2% (Ref. 92878). It further differs from C. crassa by lower body depth with only a minimal overlap, 37.4-42.1% of standard length vs. 40.4-48.4% (Ref. 92878). All scales cycloid; 26-27 scales on horizontal line; 18-21 upper lateral line scales; 9-10 lower lateral line scales (Ref. 92878).
Colour: Background colour light olive-green to greyish, chest and belly whitish; lower half of head whitish to light yellowish, and upper half of head brownish olive; upper and lower lip whitish; iris dark brown (Ref. 92878). Yellowish lachrymal stripe extending from lachrymal to jaw angle; black opercular spot (Ref. 92878). Pectoral fin at base light brownish, pelvic and anal fin greyish; dorsal fin greyish, no 'tilapia spot'; caudal fin greyish (Ref. 92878).
Collected in fast flowing water over a sandy bottom (Ref. 92878).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | 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: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
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=0.00851 (0.00310 - 0.02339), b=3.09 (2.85 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.7 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).
