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Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Teleogramma: Greek, tele, telos = perfect + Greek, gramma = letter, signal (Ref. 45335); obamaorum: This new cichlid species from the freshwater heart of the African continent is named in honor of U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, in recognition of their commitment to science education, development, gender equality, and self-reliance for all peoples of African nations, and their dedication to environmental conservation in Africa and beyond. Following recommendation 31.1.2. of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1999) the specific name is treated as a noun in the genitive plural case..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Africa: Middle Congo River basin, just upstream of Pool Malebo, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 104438)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 7 - 8; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 30 - 32. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: absence of a sexual dichromatism of the caudal fin (vs. caudal fin of females with a distinctively marked dorsal blaze), markedly inflated pores in the laterosensory system of the head, jaws, suspensorium and infraorbital series; it has 5 separate infraorbital elements (vs. 4), and a robust lower pharyngeal jaw (versus a markedly more gracile element in congeners). Uniquely among congeners, T. obamaorum is a robust species lacking dorsoventral head and body depression; it is further readily distinguished from T. monogramma by number of anal spines (7-8 vs. 4), and from T. brichardi in the possession of 32-35 pored lateral-line scales (vs. 51-60) (Ref. 104438).
Known only from a few rock outcrops located along a 40 km stretch of the middle Congo River, just upstream of Pool Malebo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In August 2011, when water levels in the main channel of the middle Congo River reached an historic low (July-September 2011), a series of rocky outcrops, which in previous (and subsequent) years had been completely submerged, became partially exposed and accessible for sampling; and it was only on these that specimens of Teleogramma obamaorum were collected. Since only very few rocky outcrops were located, and most of the shoreline was comprised of sandy or reed-fringed banks, this suggests that the short stretch where all T. obamaorum specimens were collected may represent the entire distributional range of the species. The stomach and full length of gut of all collected specimens contained small, intact shells of two species of rissooidean gastropods (superfamily Rissooidea) but in most cases, no other food items were present; a few individuals with some disarticulated remains of ephemeropteran nymphs. The male and female of this species are monomorphic and distinguished externally only by examination of the genital papilla. A female individual, although collected while reproductively active, also appeared to lack the pronounced red flush of color on the belly (reported to be observed with females of other Teleogramma species and most chromidotilapiines). Fecundity appears to be low, the largest female examined (6.38 cm SL) contained only 19 ovoid eggs measuring approximately 0.02 cm in height and 0.18 cm at widest girth and the smallest female (5.19 cm SL) contained 15 eggs of a similar size (Ref. 104438).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Stiassny, M.L.J. and S.E. Alter, 2015. Phylogenetics of Teleogramma, a riverine clade of African cichlid fishes, with a description of the deepwater molluskivore - Teleogramma obamaorum - from the lower reaches of the middle Congo River. Am. Mus. Novit. 3831:1-18. (Ref. 104438)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±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).
