Description

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 30. Diagnosis: Orthochromis mporokoso can be readily distinguished from all species currently placed in Orthochromis and O. sp. "Igamba" from the Malagarasi drainage system by having more scale rows on cheek, 2-4 vs. 0-1 (Ref. 122085). Furthermore, O. mporokoso can be distinguished from O. kasuluensis, O. mosoensis, and O. rugufuensis by having more scales on operculum, 3-4 vs. 0-2; from O. kasuluensis by having fewer total vertebrae, 30 vs. 31-32; from O. rugufuensis by fewer dorsal-fin spines, 6-17 vs. 19; from O. mazimeroensis by more horizontal line scales, 29-30 vs. 26-28, more abdominal vertebrae, 14 vs. 12-13, and more total vertebrae, 30 vs. 28-29; from O. rubrolabialis and O. uvinzae by fewer dorsal-fin spines, 16-17 vs. 18-20; it has more total gill rakers than O. rubrolabialis, 10-12 vs. 8-9, and differs in position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16 vs. 17-18 (Ref. 122085). It differs from O. uvinzae additionally by having fewer scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 4-5 vs. 6-8, fewer abdominal vertebrae, 14 vs. 15-16, fewer total vertebrae, 30 vs. 31-33, position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16 vs. 18-19, position of pterygiophore supporting last anal-fin spine, vertebral count 14-15 vs. 16-17; from O. luongoensis and O. torrenticola by having fewer caudal vertebrae, 16 vs. 17-18, and total vertebrae, 30 vs. 31-33; from O. kalungwishiensis by having fewer total vertebrae, 30 vs. 31-33, and fewer horizontal line scales, 29-30 vs. 31-32; from O. torrenticola additionally by having fewer anal-fin spines, 3 vs. 4, and position of pterygiophore supporting last anal-fin spine, vertebral count 14-15 vs. 16-17 (Ref. 122085). It can be distinguished from O. stormsi and O. polyacanthus by having fewer scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 4-5 vs. 6-9; in addition, it is distinguished from O. stormsi by having more horizontal line scales, 29-30 vs. 26-28, more total vertebrae, 30 vs. 28-29, and fewer total gill rakers, 10-12 vs. 13-15; from O. polyacanthus by having more series of scales on cheek, 2-4 vs. 0, fewer dorsal-fin spines, 16-17 vs. 18-20, and in position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16 vs. 17-18, as in position of pterygiophore supporting last anal-fin spine, vertebral count 14-15 vs. 16-17 (Ref. 122085). Meristic values of O. mporokoso overlap with those of O. machadoi, but it can be readily distinguished by having more vertical bars on flanks, 13-15 vs. 9-10, which moreover extend mainly ventrally; those of O. machadoi extend mainly dorsally; in addition, it is distinguished in head mask pattern, i.e. V-shape nostril stripe in O. mporokoso vs. straight nostril stripe in O. machadoi; cheek stripe present vs. absent in O. machadoi (Ref. 122085). It differs from Schwetzochromis neodon by ahving more circumpeduncular scales, 16 vs. 12, fewer inner series of teeth, 1-3 vs. 4-6, and fewer dorsal-fin rays, 9-10 vs. 11-12; it differs from Haplochromis bakongo and Haplochromis moeruensis by having more horizontal line scales, 29-30 vs. 26-28, more caudal vertebrae, 16 vs. 12-15, and more total vertebrae, 30 vs. 26-29; additionally, it is distinguished from H. moeruensis by having more upper lateral line scales, 21-23 vs. 19-20; from H. bakongo by having more dorsal-fin spines, 16-17 vs. 14-15, and in position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16 vs. 13-14; and from H. snoeksi it is distinguished by having more abdominal vertebrae, 14 vs. 13, fewer caudal vertebrae, 16 vs. 17, more anal-fin rays, 7-9 vs. 5-6, more total gill rakers, 10-12 vs. 9, and in position of pterygiophore supporting last dorsal-fin spine, vertebral count 16 vs. 15, and position pterygiophore supporting last anal-fin spine, vertebral count 14-15 vs. 13 (Ref. 122085). Meristic values of O. mporokoso overlap with those of Haplochromis vanheusdeni, but it lacks eggspots, has a nostril stripe vs. absent in H. vanheusdeni, exhibits a cheek stripe vs. absent in H. vanheusdeni, and has a higher number of vertical bars on flank, 13-15 vs. 6-7 (Ref. 122085). It differs from O. kimpala by having fewer scales between upper lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 4-5 vs. 6-7; from O. indermauri by having more series of scales on the cheek, 2-4 vs. 0-1, more caudal vertebrae, 16 vs. 14-15, and more total vertebrae, 30 vs. 28-29 (Ref. 122085). Meristic values of O. mporokoso overlap with those of O. katumbii but former differs by having more vertical bars on flank, 13-15 vs. 7-9, and by head mask pattern, cheek stripe present vs. absent in O. katumbii; meristic values of O. mporokoso overlap with those of O. gecki but former is distinguished by having much wide interorbital, 1.3-19.5% of head length vs. 9.6-12.9%, and by lacking eggspots on anal fin vs. present in O. gecki (Ref. 122085).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Cichliformes

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Orthochromis

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

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

A benthic-rheophilic species (Ref. 122085).

Habitat

benthopelagic