Description

Vertebrae: 28 - 30. Diagnosis: Haplochromis antleter belongs to an assemblage of small sized (less than 9 cm standard length), relatively deep-bodied (body depth larger than 35% of standard length) micrognathic species with a moderately curved to straight dorsal head profile; the fish in this group have relatively small, mainly bicuspid, teeth in the oral jaws (Ref. 85523). It can be distinguished from Haplochromis cinctus, Haplochromis paropius and Haplochromis katunzii by live colouration of sexually active males: Haplochromis antleter is dusky coloured with no or faint vertical bars and it is the only species of this assemblage that has no or a faint lachrymal stripe; H. paropius has a red dorsum and a greenish flank with faint vertical bars; in contrast to the other three species H. paropius often has a mid-lateral band; H. cinctus has a red dorsum, an orange to yellowish flank and dark vertical bars; H. katunzii is sandy-brown and has, compared to H. antleter, more distinctive vertical bars (Ref. 85523). Haplochromis antleter has a shallower cheek depth, 16.1-21.1% of head length, than H. katunzii and H. paropius, 18.6-24.6% of head length and 18.1-24.2% respectively; and the interorbital width is smaller, 19.1-24.9% of head length, than in the type-specimens of H. cinctus, 24.3-27.2% of head length (Ref. 85523). Compared to H. katunzii, H. antleter has a less pronounced mental prominence on the lower jaw (Ref. 85523).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Haplochromis

Species: Haplochromis antleter Mietes & Witte, 2010

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

A benthic species found in sub-littoral areas of the Mwanza Gulf mainly over mud bottoms; the depth range is 2-11 m (Ref. 85523). Before the ecological changes in Lake Victoria, this species fed mainly on detritus, but also included phytoplankton, mainly Aulacoseira, and occasionally insect larvae and zooplankton in its diet (Ref. 85523). Based on the egg dummies on the anal fin of males and the egg size in ripe females, it is a female mouth brooder (Ref. 85523).

Habitat

demersal