Description

Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 28 - 29. Diagnosis: Orthochromis indermauri is distinguished from all species currently placed in Orthochromis, except O. torrenticola, by having hypurals 1 and 2 clearly separated or separated by distinct seam vs. always fused (Ref. 122085). It is further distinguished from Malagarasi-Orthochromis species, except O. mazimeroensis, O. malagaraziensis, and O. rubrolabialis, by having fewer caudal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 16-18, and total vertebrae, 28-29 vs. 30-32; it is also distinguished from O. luichensis, O. malagaraziensis, O. mazimeroensis, O. mosoensis by having more inner series of teeth in upper jaw, 3-5 vs. 1-2; moreover, it differs from O. kasuluensis by having fewer anal-fin rays, 7-9 vs. 10; from O. malagaraziensis by having more scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 5-7 vs. 3-4, and by having more ceratobranchial gill rakers, 8-11 vs. 6-7; from O. mazimeroensis by having more abdominal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 12-13; from O. mosoensis and O. rubrolabialis by having more ceratobranchial gill rakers, 8-11 vs. 5-7, and total gill rakers, 11-15 vs. 8-10; from O. uvinzae by having fewer horizontal line scales, 25-29 vs. 30-32, fewer dorsal-fin spines, 17-18 vs. 19-20, and by position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16-17 vs. 18-19 (Ref. 122085). It is distinguished from O. kalungwishiensis, O. luongoensis, and O. torrenticola by having fewer horizontal line scales, 28-29 vs. 30-32, and by having fewer caudal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 17-18; further, it differs from O. luongoensis and O. machadoi by having fewer series of scales on cheek, 0-1 vs. 2-5; from O. kalungwishiensis by having fewer total vertebrae, 28-29 vs. 31-33 (Ref. 122085). It is distinguished from Schwetzochromis neodon by having fewer horizontal line scales, 28-29 vs. 30-31, more circumpeduncular scales, 16 vs. 12, fewer caudal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 16-17, fewer total vertebrae, 28-29 vs. 30-32, fewer dorsal-fin rays, 8-10 vs. 11-12, and by having hypurals 1 and 2 clearly separated or separated by distinct seam vs. fused; it differs from Haplochromis snoeksi by having fewer scales on cheek, 0-1 vs. 2-3, fewer horizontal line scales, 25-29 vs. 30-31, more abdominal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 13, fewer caudal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 17, fewer total vertebrae, 28-29 vs. 30, more anal-fin rays, 7-9 vs. 5-6, more dorsal-fin spines, 17-18 vs. 16, more ceratobranchial gill rakers, 8-11 vs. 6, and total gill rakers, 11-15 vs. 9; from Haplochromis bakongo by having more inner series of teeth, 3-5 vs. 1-2, more dorsal-fin spines, 17-18 vs. 14-15, and in position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16-18 vs. 13-14; from Haplochromis moeruensis by having hypurals 1 and 2 clearly separated or separated by distinct seam vs. always fused; meristic values of O. indermauri overlap with those of Haplochromis vanheusdeni but is distinguished in head mask, nostril stripe present vs. absent, caudal corner of cheek with blackish element vs. no such element present, and by size and colouration of eggspot-like maculae on anal fin, deep red centre vs. orange centre in Haplochromis vanheusdeni (Ref. 122085). It is distinguished from O. mporokoso and O. katumbii by having fewer caudal vertebrae, 14-15 vs. 16-17, fewer total vertebrae, 28-29 vs. 30-31, and by having hypurals 1 and 2 and hypurals 3 and 4 clearly separated or separated by distinct seam vs. always fused; further from O. mporokoso by having fewer series of scales on cheek, 0-1 vs. 2-4; from O. katumbii by having fewer horizontal line scales, 25-29 vs. 30-31; it is distinguished from O. kimpala by having fewer series of scales on cheek, 0-1 vs. 3-4, and by having more dorsal-fin spines, 17-18 vs. 15-16; meristic values of O. indermauri overlap with those of O. gecki but is distinguished by having a wider interorbital width, 13.5-18.2% of head length vs. 9.6-12.9% (Ref. 122085).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Orthochromis

Species: Orthochromis indermauri Schedel, Vreven, Katemo Manda, Abwe, Chocha Manda & Schliewen, 2018

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Found in part of river which is rocky with some patches of sand and gravel, about 20 meters wide and on average 50 cm deep (Ref. 122085). This species is benthic-rheophilic and prefers stretches of fast flowing water where it is found between and among large rocks or patches of gravel (Ref. 122085). It is a maternal mouthbrooder (Ref. 122085).

Habitat

benthopelagic