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Nimbochromis
''Nimbochromis'' is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids mostly endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They are known as sleeper cichlids or ''kaligono'' ("sleepers" in Chichewa) due to their unique hunting behaviour. These piscivorous species are often seen lying motionless on the lake bottom near rocks where mbuna live, even adopting an unusual sideways position rarely seen in living fish. If smaller fishes approach, the ''Nimbochromis'' will "wake up" and try to seize them. Their coloration has an irregular dark cloudy pattern on lighter background; for one thing, this provides camouflage, but it is also suspected that it is – at least in some – evolving into aggressive mimicry (apparent death) by imitating a rotting fish carcass and thus luring scavengers to their demise. Species There are currently five recognized species in this genus: * '' Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus'' (Regan, 1922) (Spothead Hap, Fuscotaeniatus Hap) * '' Nimbochromis linni'' ( W. E. Burges ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis Polystigma
''Nimbochromis polystigma'' is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi, in the Great Rift Valley system of Africa. This species prefers areas with rock/sand substrate or areas with plentiful vegetation. It can grow to a length of TL. General Occurring throughout the lake, ''Nimbochromis polystigma'' is a piscivorous fish, often preying upon juvenile cichlids. The local name for the fish is ''Kaligono'', meaning 'sleeper' in the chiCheŵa language. It shares this name with other ''Nimbochromis'' species due to their hunting technique, which involves lying motionless on the bottom, sometimes on its side as if feigning death, until small fish approach to investigate, then pouncing on the prey. When hunting this way their colour will fade, apparently as the whiter colour attracts more small cichlids. They will also sometimes launch ambush attacks on small fish from the cover of vegetation, with their colouration acting as disruptive camouflage. Like most Lake Malawi cichlids ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis
''Nimbochromis'' is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids mostly endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They are known as sleeper cichlids or ''kaligono'' ("sleepers" in Chichewa) due to their unique hunting behaviour. These piscivorous species are often seen lying motionless on the lake bottom near rocks where mbuna live, even adopting an unusual sideways position rarely seen in living fish. If smaller fishes approach, the ''Nimbochromis'' will "wake up" and try to seize them. Their coloration has an irregular dark cloudy pattern on lighter background; for one thing, this provides camouflage, but it is also suspected that it is – at least in some – evolving into aggressive mimicry (apparent death) by imitating a rotting fish carcass and thus luring scavengers to their demise. Species There are currently five recognized species in this genus: * '' Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus'' (Regan, 1922) (Spothead Hap, Fuscotaeniatus Hap) * '' Nimbochromis linni'' ( W. E. Burges ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis Livingstonii
''Nimbochromis livingstonii'', Livingston's cichlid or (locally) ''kalingono'', is a freshwater mouthbrooding cichlid native to Lake Malawi, an African Rift Lake. It is also found in the upper Shire River and Lake Malombe. They are found in inshore areas of the lake over sandy substrates. Morphology A laterally compressed fish with a large mouth. Maximum reported length of male fish in the wild is TL while females reach TL. Colouration variable but typically mottled brown and white. The dorsal fin may also show blue coloration while maintaining an orange to red band and sometimes a white line. Adult males frequently "color up" in response to changing conditions and rapidly change from spotted camouflage to brilliant blues and greens and may even exhibit a pale golden tone. Breeding males turn a dark blue which almost completely obscures their blotched pattern. The anal fin is usually orange to red. Females are similar, but usually lack the yellow "egg spot" markings on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis Venustus
''Nimbochromis venustus'', commonly called venustus hap or giraffe hap, is a Haplochromine cichlid endemid to Lake Malawi in Africa. It prefers the deeper regions of the lake () where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie motionless until the chosen fish comes within reach. it will then dart out of the sand and strike. It is related to ''Nimbochromis livingstonii''. In the wild it is known to grow to TL though usually not exceeding a length of TL. It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish. The fish are generally yellow with a pattern of darker, melanic blotches. Males will have a blue head and other blue colouring when they reach sexual maturity. See also *List of freshwater aquarium fish species A vast number of aquatic species have successfully adapted to live in the freshwater aquarium. This list gives some examples of the most common species found in home a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis Fuscotaeniatus
''Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus'' (spothead hap, fuscotaeniatus hap) is a species of cichlid Endemism, endemic to Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe. Males of this species can reach a length of fish measurement, TL while the females grow to TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is an ambush predator and feeds on smaller cichlids. Females are smaller than males and a brownish color, while males are larger and blue in color. The species is a mouthbrooder that spawns readily in the aquarium. See also *List of freshwater aquarium fish species References Nimbochromis, fuscotaeniatus Fish of Lake Malawi Fish of Malawi Fish described in 1922 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cichlidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nimbochromis Linni
''Nimbochromis linni'' is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi where it prefers areas with rocky substrates, though it occasionally enters intermediate habitats. This species can reach a length of TL. It can also be found in the aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ... trade. The specific name honours D. Wayne Linn of the Fisheries Office in Malawi, whose help to Herbert R. Axelrod made his field trip to Lake Malawi possible. References linni Fish of Lake Malawi Fish of Malawi Fish described in 1975 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cichlidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cichlid Genera
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this grouping. The closest living relative of cichlids is probably the convict blenny, and both families are classified in the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World'' as the two families in the Cichliformes, part of the subseries Ovalentaria. This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,650 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 2,000 and 3,000. Many cichlids, particularly tilapia, are important food fishes, while others, such as the ''Cichla'' species, are valued game fish. The family also includes many popular freshwater aquar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cichlid
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this grouping. The closest living relative of cichlids is probably the convict blenny, and both families are classified in the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World'' as the two families in the Cichliformes, part of the subseries Ovalentaria. This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,650 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 2,000 and 3,000. Many cichlids, particularly tilapia, are important food fishes, while others, such as the ''Cichla'' species, are valued game fish. The family also includes many popular freshwater aquariu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haplochromine
__NOTOC__ The haplochromine cichlids are a tribe of cichlids in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae called Haplochromini. This group includes the type genus (''Haplochromis'') plus a number of closely related genera such as '' Aulonocara'', '' Astatotilapia'', and '' Chilotilapia''. They are endemic to eastern, southern and northern Africa, except for ''Astatotilapia flaviijosephi'' in the ''Middle East''. A common name in a scientific context is East African cichlids – while they are not restricted to that region, they are the dominant Cichlidae there. This tribe was extensively studied by Ethelwynn Trewavas, who made major reviews in 1935 and 1989, at the beginning and at the end of her career in ichthyology. Even today, numerous new species are being described each year. The haplochromines were in older times treated as subfamily Haplochrominae, However, the great African radiation of pseudocrenilabrine cichlids is certainly not monophyletic without them, and thus they are t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apparent Death
Apparent death, colloquially known as playing dead, feigning death, or playing possum, is a behavior in which animals take on the appearance of being dead. It is an immobile state most often triggered by a predatory attack and can be found in a wide range of animals from insects and crustaceans to mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Apparent death is also referred to as thanatosis, animal hypnosis, immobilization catatonia, or tonic immobility, the latter of which is preferred in the scientific literature on the subject. Apparent death is separate from the freezing behavior seen in some animals. Apparent death is a form of animal deception considered to be an anti-predator strategy, but it can also be used as a form of aggressive mimicry. When induced by humans, the state is sometimes colloquially known as animal hypnosis. The earliest written record of "animal hypnosis" dates back to the year 1646 in a report by Athanasius Kircher, in which he subdued chickens. Desc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fifth largest fresh water lake in the world by volume, the ninth largest lake in the world by area—and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. Lake Malawi is home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world, including at least 700 species of cichlids.Turner, Seehausen, Knight, Allender, and Robinson (2001). "How many species of cichlid fishes are there in African lakes?" ''Molecular Ecology'' 10: 793–806. The Mozambique portion of the lake was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011,WWF (10 June 2011)"Mozambique’s Lake Niassa declared reserve and Ramsar site"Retrieved 17 July 2014. while in Malawi a portion of the lake is included in Lake Malawi National Park. Lake Malawi is a meromic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
