Haplochromis piceatus

Haplochromis piceatus
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Haplochromis
Species:	H. piceatus
Binomial name
Haplochromis piceatus Greenwood & Gee, 1969
Synonyms
Astatotilapia piceata(Greenwood & Gee, 1969) Astatotilapia piceatus(Greenwood & Gee, 1969)

Haplochromis piceatus is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Victoria in East Africa. ^[2] Although listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, since 2005, surveys have failed to find them in their home lake and they are possibly extinct in the wild. ^{[3] [4]} Captive "safety populations" are maintained at several public aquariums. ^{[4] [5]}

This species can reach a standard length of 9 cm (3.5 in). ^[2] Males are bluish-black with orange fins and females are grayish. The species generally resembles H. cinereus and H. macrops , also from Lake Victoria, but they differs in having a longer jaw and a higher gill raker count. ^[5] In the wild they are typically found over muddy bottoms at depths of about 14–18 m (46–59 ft) where they feed on zooplankton and insect larvae, but in captivity they will eat a wide range of standard aquarium fish food. ^{[2] [5]}

References

1. Witte, F.; de Zeeuw, M.P.; Brooks, E. (2010). "Haplochromis piceatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010 e.T61189A12440462. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T61189A12440462.en . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Haplochromis piceatus". FishBase . September 2019 version.
3. Sayer, C.A.; L. Máiz-Tomé; W.R.T. Darwall (2018). Freshwater biodiversity in the Lake Victoria Basin: Guidance for species conservation, site protection, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Cambridge, UK and Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. doi:10.2305/IUCN.CH.2018.RA.2.en. ISBN   978-2-8317-1896-5.
4. Rutger, H. (27 March 2018). "Thus fish in Mote Aquarium may be extinct in the wild – and it has quite a backstory". Mote Aquarium. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
5. Hemdal, J.; E. McMullin (2013). "Husbandry of a Lake Victoria cichlid, the Pitch-black fulu Haplochromis piceatus, in public aquariums: a 20 year retrospective". Int. Zoo Yearb. 47: 112–119. doi:10.1111/izy.12012.