Maylandia Tarakiki
📖 Overview
Maylandia Tarakiki (Maylandia tarakiki) is a ray-finned fish of the family Cichlidae. It inhabits freshwater waters in pelagic environments. This species can reach a maximum total length of 11.9 cm. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: The presence of bicuspid teeth in the anterior portion of the outer row on both the upper and lower jaws and a moderately sloped ethmo-vomerine block with a swollen rostral tip place this species in Maylandia . Male Maylandia tarakiki are distinguished from those of the other members of Maylandia by the blue ground colour with distinct black bars, the extension of the lateral bars onto the blue dorsal fin, the blue anal fin, and the absence of a dark submarginal band in the dorsal fin or yellow pigment on the body; while some males of M. zebra and M. fainzilberi exhibit extension of the lateral bars into the dorsal fin, these extensions fuse into a broad submarginal band, which is not observed in males of M. tarakiki . Male and female M. tarakiki are further distinguished from M. zebra by a shallower body as expressed in the distance between the dorsal fin origin and pelvic fin which ranges from 28,1-36,0% of standard length in M. tarakiki and from 34,2-40,7% of standard length in M. zebra populations from the Tanzanian shores and from Chiwindi in Mozambique . On average M. tarakiki has more tooth rows on the lower jaw, range 5-8, than M. zebra, range 3-5 . : fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Maylandia Tarakiki is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Maylandia Tarakiki is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Reproduction data for Maylandia Tarakiki is currently being compiled.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Maylandia Tarakiki ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.