Xenotilapia

Xenotilapia
X. papilio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Tribe:	Ectodini
Genus:	Xenotilapia Boulenger, 1899
Type species
Xenotilapia sima Boulenger, 1899
Synonyms
EnantiopusBoulenger, 1906 ParectodusPoll, 1942 StappersettaWhitley, 1950 StappersiaBoulenger, 1914

Xenotilapia is a genus of cichlids species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. ^[1]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed 16 Xenotilapia species; one of them is considered "Endangered" ( Xenotilapia burtoni ), the rest are of "Least Concern" or "Data Deficient". ^[2]

Species

There are currently 14 recognized species in this genus: ^[3]

• Xenotilapia bathyphilus Poll, 1956
• Xenotilapia boulengeri (Poll, 1942)
• Xenotilapia burtoni Poll, 1951
• Xenotilapia caudofasciata Poll, 1951
• Xenotilapia flavipinnis Poll, 1985 (Yellow sand cichlid)
• Xenotilapia longispinis Poll, 1951
• Xenotilapia nasus De Vos, Risch & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1995
• Xenotilapia nigrolabiata Poll, 1951
• Xenotilapia ochrogenys (Boulenger, 1914)
• Xenotilapia ornatipinnis Boulenger, 1901
• Xenotilapia papilio Büscher, 1990
• Xenotilapia sima Boulenger, 1899
• Xenotilapia singularis (Boulenger, 1914)
• Xenotilapia spiloptera Poll & D. J. Stewart, 1975

References

1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Xenotilapia". FishBase . November 2018 version.
2. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
3. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Xenotilapia". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 9 November 2025.