Description

Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14; Vertebrae: 33 - 34. Diagnosis: Adult males of Hemibates koningsi can be distinguished from H. stenosoma, the only congener, by a flank colour pattern of four to seven black vertical bars, two to three flank-scales wide, on the anterior flank region and five horizontal bands, one to two, rarely three flank-scales high, on the posterior flank region vs. black blotches of variable number, size and shape at the anterior part of the flanks and five, rarely four, horizontal bands in H. stenosoma; they can further be distinguished by the fourth horizontal band, counted from dorsal to ventral, starting below pectoral fin base sometimes before and extending to caudal fin base in H. koningsi vs. normally ending well before caudal fin base in H. stenosoma; moreover, both species exhibit a black band on dorsal fin membrane along the dorsal-fin base, which is however wider and more pronounced in H. koningsi males (Ref. 117350). Females as well as males of H. koningsi can be unambiguously separated from H. stenosoma by their longer lower pharyngeal jaw, 37.6-38.2% of head length vs. 27.8-32.5%, with a characteristically curved keel, distinctive bulge ventrally of the keel, which contrasts with the more or less straight keel of H. stenosoma, which is only rounded towards the tip; meristics and measurements of Hemibates koningsi overlap with those of H. stenosoma, but H. koningsi on average has fewer gill rakers on the first gill arch, 33-37 vs. 35-43; it tend to have longer lower jaws, 44.0-47.1% of head length vs. 39.22-45.9%, longer upper lips, 32.6-36.7% of head length vs. 27.6-33.6%, and longer lower lips, 34.5-37.8% of head length vs. 30.1-36.0% (Ref. 117350).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Hemibates

Species: Hemibates koningsi Schedel & Schliewen, 2017

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

This species appears to be epibenthic (Ref. 117350).

Habitat

pelagic