Sargochromis

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Sargochromis
Sargochromis carlottae.jpg
Sargochromis codringtonii.jpg
S. carlottae (above),
S. codringtonii (below)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Tribe: Haplochromini
Genus: Sargochromis
Regan, 1920
Type species
Paratilapia codringtonii
Boulenger, 1908 [1]

Sargochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids native to freshwater habitats in Southern Africa, where found in the upper and middle Zambezi basin, Okavango delta, Cunene basin, Cuvelai basin and southeastern Congo Basin. [2] They are typically known as happies (a name also used for some other haplocromines) or smallmouths. [2] [3] The latter name refers to their small mouth compared to their close relatives, the largemouths of the genus Serranochromis . Unlike the species in that genus which mostly feed on other fish, Sargochromis mostly feed on invertebrates (especially molluscs and aquatic insects), but in some species plant material (especially seeds) is important. [3] On occasion they will also eat small fish, and the stomachs of S. carlottae and S. codringtonii commonly contain fish scales, but whether these are already-lost scales that are picked off the bottom or they are actively bumped off large fish is unknown. [3] [4] Some of the species that feed heavily on aquatic snails have been used for biological pest control. [5] Sargochromis are mouthbrooders. [3] Depending on the exact species, they reach a maximum total length of 20 to 48 cm (8–19 in). [2]

Sargochromis support important local fisheries, [3] and some are also considered game fish. [6] Although a few species have quite small distributions, they generally remain fairly common overall. All Sargochromis species are considered least concern (not threatened) by the IUCN, except the relatively poorly known S. thysi, which is considered data deficient (available information is insufficient for determining its conservation status). [7]

Species and taxonomy

There are currently eight recognized species in this genus: [2]

A few other, possibly undescribed species are known. [8]

In the past, Sargochromis was considered a subgenus of Serranochromis , [3] but today it is generally recognized as a separate genus. [1] These genera, along with Chetia , Pharyngochromis and others, form a group sometimes known as the serranochromines or Serranochromini. [8] [9] [10] How many other genera that are included varies, with some defining the group relatively narrowly and others broadly. [11] Genetic evidence indicates that several genera in this group, including Sargochromis, are not monophyletic. [8] [11]

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<i>Aequidens</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Steatocranus</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Chetia</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Rhamphochromis</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Haplochromis</i> Genus of fishes

Haplochromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae. It has been used as the default "wastebin taxon" for Pseudocrenilabrinae cichlids of the East African Rift, and as such became the "largest" fish "genus". Many of these cichlids are popular aquarium fishes; like similar Haplochromini they are known as "haplos", "happies" or "haps" among aquarium enthusiasts.

<i>Marcusenius</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

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Serranochromis is a genus of relatively large, robust cichlids from freshwater habitats in mainland Southern Africa, ranging as far north as DR Congo and Tanzania, with the highest species richness in the upper Zambezi, Okavango and Congo basins. They are typically known as largemouths or, especially among fishers, breams. Serranochromis are mostly piscivores and they are important in local fisheries.

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<i>Synodontis woosnami</i> Species of fish

Synodontis woosnami, known as the Upper Zambezi squeaker, or bubblebarb squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe where it is found in the upper Zambezi and Okavango River basins and the Cunene River. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1911, from a specimen collected in the Okavango River in the Lake Ngami district of Botswana. The species name woosnami is derived from R. B. Woosnam, the collector of the first specimen.

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<i>Pharyngochromis</i> Genus of fishes

Pharyngochromis is a genus of cichlids native to Southern Africa where they are only known from the Zambezi, Okavango, Save–Runde and Kunene basins. There are two species, which reach up to 12 and 22 cm in total length, respectively.

<i>Petrocephalus</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

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<i>Tilapia sparrmanii</i> Species of fish

Tilapia sparrmanii, the banded tilapia, or vlei kurper, is a widespread and adaptable cichlid fish that is found in warmer freshwater habitats of southern Africa. They prefer water with ample plant cover, and occur naturally as far north as DR Congo and Tanzania. They have been introduced locally in the northern hemisphere. Younger banded tilapia feed on crustaceans and insect larvae, while the adults feed on terrestrial and aquatic plants and other debris. They undertake local migrations and may shoal before and during spawning time. They guard their own eggs, and although they may move eggs or fry in the mouth, they are not known to be actual mouthbrooders like several other tilapia species. This species can reach a length of 23.5 centimetres (9.3 in) TL and is an important foodfish.

<i>Coptodon</i> Genus of cichlids

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zambezi bream</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormyroidea</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Sargochromis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). Species of Sargochromis in FishBase . October 2019 version.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Winemiller, K.O. (1991). "Comparative ecology of Serranochromis species (Teleostei: Cichlidae) in the Upper Zambezi River floodplain". Journal of Fish Biology. 39 (5): 617–639. Bibcode:1991JFBio..39..617W. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.722.9409 . doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb04393.x.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Sargochromis codringtonii" in FishBase . October 2019 version.
  5. Skelton, P.H. (1993). A complete guide to the freshwater fishes of southern Africa. Southern Book Publishers. ISBN   978-1868123506.
  6. Hansford-Steele, B. (2013). African fly-fishing handbook: A guide to freshwater and saltwater fly-fishing in Africa. Struik Publishers. ISBN   9781432302290.
  7. IUCN (2019). "Sargochromis". 2019-2. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 Joyce, D.A.; D.H. Lunt; R. Bills; G.F. Turner; C. Katongo; N. Duftner; C. Sturmbauer; O. Seehause (2005). "An extant cichlid fish radiation emerged in an extinct Pleistocene lake" (PDF). Nature. 435 (7038): 90–95. Bibcode:2005Natur.435...90J. doi:10.1038/nature03489. PMID   15875022. S2CID   4313746.
  9. Greenwood, P.H. (1993). "A review of the serranochromine cichlid fish genera Pharyngochromis, Sargochromis, Serranochromis and Chetia (Teleostei: Labroidei)". Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Zool. 59 (1): 33–44.
  10. Bouckaert, R.; M. Steel; W. Salzburger; Z. Starostová; J.M.I. Barth; Z. Musilová; M. Matschiner (2017). "Bayesian Phylogenetic Estimation of Clade Ages Supports Trans-Atlantic Dispersal of Cichlid Fishes". Systematic Biology. 66 (1): 3–22. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syw076 . hdl: 10852/59576 . PMID   28173588.
  11. 1 2 Musilová, Z.; L. Kalous; M. Petrtýl; P. Chaloupková (2013). "Cichlid Fishes in the Angolan Headwaters Region: Molecular Evidence of the Ichthyofaunal Contact between the Cuanza and Okavango-Zambezi Systems". PLOS ONE. 8 (5): e65047. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...865047M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065047 . PMC   3664563 . PMID   23724120.