Chromidotilapia melaniae

Anton Lamboj, 2003, Chromidotilapia melaniae and C. nana, two new cichlid species (Perciformes, Cichlidae) from Gabon, Central Africa., Zootaxa 143, pp. 1-15 : 12

[[ Chromidotilapia melaniae ]]

Chromidotilapia melaniae also has a relatively low number of gill rakers on the lower limb of the first branchial arch (8-10), but the coloration patterns of this species resembles that of C. mamonekenei and C. kingsleyae - when stressed, patterns of dark blotches and short horizontal lines are visible on the sides in all three species. In breeding behaviour C. melaniae is similar to C. mamonekenei in both being ovophilic and pair bonding, biparental mouthbrooders. In contrast, C. kingsleyae is a polygamous female mouthbrooder (Lamboj, 1998a, b). Breeding behaviour in C. melaniae and C. mamonekenei seems to be somewhat more basic than in C. kingsleyae , which, following current views on the evolution of breeding behaviour in cichlids (e.g. Keenleyside, 1991), has a more derivied breeding behaviour. Sexual size dimorphism is also more distinct in C. kingsleyae . Nevertheless, despite this differences, similar pigmentation patterns observed for these three species may suggest a close relationship.