Cyphotilapia frontosa

Cyphotilapia frontosa
Adult of Cyphotilapia frontosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Genus: Cyphotilapia
Species: C. frontosa
Binomial name
Cyphotilapia frontosa
(Boulenger, 1906)

Cyphotilapia frontosa, the frontosa, is a species of fish from the cichlid family, endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.[1]

Etymology

The genus name Cyphotilapia is composed by Cypho (from a Greek term meaning hunchback) and tilapia (translated from a local dialect word meaning fish). The specific Latin name frontosa means with a big forehead.[2]

Description

C. frontosa can grow to 33 cm (1.1 ft) in length.[1] Even captive specimens potentially grow to this size. It has distinct markings with five to seven black vertical bars adorning a white or blue body and head and trailing fins with a distinct blue hue. The species also develops a nuchal hump that is more pronounced in older specimens. C. frontosa is a sexually monomorphic species, although the hump is occasionally more pronounced in males. These fish can live over 25 years.

As is the case with many of the cichlid species found in Lake Tanganyika, isolation of distinct breeding colonies has resulted in several different colour variants evolving.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa and is widespread in the northern half of the lake,[1] whereas the closely related C. gibberosa inhabits the southern half of the lake. The species generally resides at greater depths (30–50 m subsurface)[2] than most other cichlids, and rises to shallow waters in the early morning to feed on shoaling fish such as Cyprichromis species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Cyphotilapia frontosa" in FishBase. April 2017 version.
  2. 1 2 Welcome Lake Tanganyika queen cichlid (Cyphotilapia frontosa)
  3. ↑ Tropical Fish Site
  • IUCN
  • Maréchal, C. and M. Poll, 1991. Boulengerochromis.. p. 27-28. 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.
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