Melanochromis Robustus

📖 Overview

Found in the very shallow, less than 5 m deep, rocky habitat at the islands of Chinyankwazi and Mumbo in Lake Malawi . It has an opportunistic feeding behaviour in which the species is attracted to visible particles floating in the water column rather than collecting food by systematically browsing from the rocky substrate . Males in breeding colouration energetically defend spawning sites, which are located inside caves and crevices between the rocks, against conspecific males; male territories have an estimated diameter of 2-3 meters . Mouthbrooding females remain solitary and stay close to the rocky substrate .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6 - 8. Diagnosis: Melanochromis robustus has a basic melanin pattern consisting of two longitudinal black stripes on the body, of which the mid-lateral stripe reverses colour with the background in the breeding male, a character that makes it a member of Melanochromis . Female M. robustus are distinguished from all other congeners, except those of M. melanopterus, M. vermivorus, and M. mpoto, by a gray to brown coloured body, which is white to yellow in other congeners; mouthbrooding females may have additional vertical bars on the flanks, but these are more diffuse than the horizontal stripes . Both male and female M. robustus are distinguished from M. melanopterus, M. vermivorus, and M. mpoto by a broader interorbital breadth, the width of which is 26.1-29.6% of head length, vs. 16.6-20.6% in M. melanopterus, 18.5-25.5% in M. vermivorus, and 14.8-21.8% in M. mpoto . Male M. robustus in breeding colouration are distinguished from all other congeners by a dark-blue body colour and two light blue horizontal stripes on the flank superimposed with dark-blue to black vertical bars; the bars are interrupted by the light-coloured horizontal lines; none of the other known species of Melanochromis has a male colouration where the horizontal and vertical elements of the pattern are expressed simultaneously; superficially, breeding males of the sympatric and smaller M. heterochromis have a similar colouration, albeit lacking the vertical bars; Melanochromis heterochromis can also be distinguished by its light-coloured mid-lateral stripe, which rarely spans more than two scales but is usually three to four scales deep in M. robustus; Melanochromis robustus is further distinguished from M. heterochromis by a longer snout, 33.8-38.0% of head length vs. 26.8-31.5% in M. heterochromis, and by a deeper caudal peduncle, 12.9-14.4% of standard length vs. 9.8-11.7% in M. heterochromis . : fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Melanochromis Robustus is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 5 m . Tropical; 11°S - 13°S endemic to Lake Malawi (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🦠 Common Diseases

The following diseases are known to affect Melanochromis Robustus.

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

👥 Community & Contribute