Astatotilapia calliptera
Male above, females below, all of Lake Chilingali origin
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Astatotilapia
Species:
A. calliptera
Binomial name
Astatotilapia calliptera
(Günther, 1894)[2]
Synonyms
  • Chromis callipterus Günther, 1894
  • Ctenochromis callipterus (Günther, 1894)
  • Haplochromis callipterus (Günther, 1894)
  • Tilapia calliptera (Günther, 1894)
  • Haplochromis centropristoides Nichols & LaMonte, 1931

Astatotilapia calliptera, the eastern happy or eastern river bream, is a species of haplochromine cichlid from southeastern Africa.

Description

The male Astatotilapia calliptera has blue lips and a dark line through its eye. It can show a reddish forehead but the body is normally yellow, although some wild populations are blue.[3] The females are smaller than the males and are brownish silvery in colour.[4] The maximum total length is 15 cm (5.9 in).[5]

Distribution

Astatotilapia calliptera occurs in Lake Malawi and its drainage, the Shire River, and Lakes Chiuta and Chilwa. It has also been recorded from the lower Zambezi River,[5] and in coastal rivers on the coastal plain of Mozambique, from the Rovuma River and south as far as the Save River,[1] This species is established as a non-native, introduced species in Broward County and Palm Beach County in Florida, United States.[6]

Habitat and ecology

Astatotilapia calliptera prefers shallow water with a sand substrate with aquatic vegetation such as species of Vallisneria,[3] where it can be abundant. It is most common in the lower reaches of rivers and weedy flood lagoons.[1] It is an omnivore and much of its diet consists of detritus and phytoplankton;[3] they will also eat invertebrates, algae and smaller fishes.[5]

They are mouthbrooders in which the female lays her eggs on a hard substrate and then they are inseminated by the male before the female takes them into her mouth where they stay for 12-14 days before hatching. The young are then guarded by their mother for a further 5-6 days, using her mouth as a refuge when they perceive danger.[5]

Aquarium trade

Astatotilapia calliptera was one of the first cichlid species found in the aquarium trade.[4][7] A number of colour varieties are available.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tweddle, D.; Bills, R.; Kazembe, J.; Marshall, B. (2018). "Astatotilapia calliptera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T181801A99449839. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T181801A99449839.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Astatotilapia calliptera". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Astatotilapia calliptera". African-cichlid.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Astatotilapia calliptera". Greater Chicago Cichlid Association. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Astatotilapia calliptera" in FishBase. June 2018 version.
  6. ↑ Jason Seltz (28 April 2017). "Florida's Introduced Nonindigenous and Invasive Fishes: Part 1 of a 3-part Series on Biological Invasions in Florida". Anamar Environmental Consulting Inc. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Greg Steeves. "Astatotilapia calliptera". The Cichlid Forum. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
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