Description

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 29. Diagnosis: Haplochromis relictidens differs from all other known species from the Lake Edward system by its unique lower jaw morphology in large specimens of more than 90 mm standard length, with lower jaw acute and upper jaw rounded, rendering anterolateral parts of upper jaw visible in ventral view; outer teeth very small, blunt to rounded, widely and irregularly set, few (16-26 vs. 22-65), and decreasing in number with size (Ref. 127594). It differs further from H. taurinus, H. molossus, and H. gracilifur by its more slender and acute lower jaw, 50.1-59.7% of lower jaw length vs. 51.4-72.7%, 67.0-87.0% and 61.9-69.4%, respectively; its larger lachrymal bones, 15.8-18.4% of head length vs. 11.5-16.4%, 13.3-17.0% and 13.7-14.3%, respectively (Ref. 127594). It is further distinct from H. paradoxus by its broader head, 47.7-54.7% of head length vs. 41.7-51.2% (Ref. 127594). Mature males green-gold with bright red flanks and very faint vertical stripes vs. different colour pattern in all other paedophagous species (Ref. 127594).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Haplochromis

Species: Haplochromis relictidens Vranken, Van Steenberge & Snoeks, 2019

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

This species has a paedophagous diet (Ref. 127594).

Habitat

benthopelagic