Description

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 29 - 31. Diagnosis: Species with a piscivorous morphology; outer oral teeth many, small, and (strongly) recurved, 45-60; non-dominant males dusky green with a blue sheen and 5-7, faint, vertical stripes (Ref. 126312). Amongst piscivorous species from the Lake Edward system, Haplochromis curvidens differs from H. latifrons, H. mentatus, H. rex, H. simba, H. glaucus, and H. aquila by small vs. large outer oral teeth and a larger number of outer upper jaw teeth, 45-60 vs; 22-47; further from H. latifrons, H. mentatus, H. rex, H. simba and H. glaucus by a shallower lacrimal, lacrimal depth 16.0-17.8% of head length vs. 18.0-23.0%; further from H. rex, H. simba, H. glaucus and H. aquila by a shallower cheek, cheek depth 22.4-24.9% of head length vs. 26.2-33.5% (Ref. 126312). It differs from H. kimondo, H. falcatus and H. quasimodo by the combination of a shallower cheek, cheek depth 22.4-24.9% of head length vs. 24.8-35.2%; and absence vs. presence of a well-defined mid-lateral band; further from H. kimondo by narrower jaws, lower jaw width 38.5-43.2% of lower jaw length vs. 44.7-53.3%; further from H. falcatus by a shorter pre-dorsal distance, 34.5-37.9% of standard length vs. 38.2-41.1%; further from H. quasimodo by a shallower body, body depth 29.0-32.0% of standard length vs. 33.5-41.7% (Ref. 126312).It differs from H. pardus by the combination of a shorter anal fin base, 17.9-18.6% of standard length vs. 19.2-22.2%; a slightly broader interorbital area, interorbital width 46.4-52.5% of head width vs. 39.3-48.4%; and all specimens faint yellow to dusky green vs. speckled to uniformly black (Ref. 126312). It differs from H. squamipinnis by the combination of a shallower body, body depth 29.0-32.0% of standard length vs. 32.4-39.3%; a shallower cheek, cheek depth 22.4-24.9% of head length vs. 24.9-36.0%; and absence vs. presence of minute scales on proximal parts of dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 126312).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Haplochromis

Species: Haplochromis curvidens Vranken, Van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks, 2022

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Found over muddy substrates (Ref. 126312). Based on its morphology, most probably a piscivorous species (Ref. 126312).

Habitat

pelagic