Red-bellied Madagascar cichlid

📖 Overview

Red-bellied Madagascar cichlid (Paretroplus dambabe) is a ray-finned fish of the family Cichlidae. It inhabits freshwater waters. This species can reach a maximum total length of 18.7 cm. With a trophic level of 2.8, it is an omnivore, consuming both plant and animal matter. It is assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 19; Anal spines: 8 - 10; Anal soft rays: 13 - 15. Diagnosis: A member of the deep-bodied clade of Paretroplus and distinguished from congeners, in preservative, by pale yellow to golden body colouration in combination with a series of six or seven faint to barely discernable, particularly in adults, vertical, dark-olive bars on the flank, and in the possession of uniform gray or charcoal-gray unpaired fins; in life, P. dambabe is unique among congeners in the possession of a grayish to bluish-green base colouration, which is accompanied by a highly variable amount of bright red pigmentation on the flank, particularly below the upper branch of the lateral line . Paretroplus dambabe is further distinguished from P. petiti, a species with which it has been erroneously associated for decades, by overall colouration, light yellowish olive vs. dark brown; brownish spotting, reddish in life, on the flanks in preservative, particularly anteriorly and below the lateral midline; and a shallower body, 48.3-57.1% of standard length vs. 57.9% .: short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Red-bellied Madagascar cichlid is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🦠 Common Diseases

The following diseases are known to affect Red-bellied Madagascar cichlid.

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

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