''Astatotilapia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of small

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Cichlidae 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 thi ...

found in

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

and

Northern Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...

, with a single species, ''A. flaviijosephi'', in

Western Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

(the only non-African

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'', '' Astat ...

). Many species have been moved between this genus and ''

Haplochromis ''Haplochromis'' is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae. It has been used as the default "wastebin taxon" for Pseudocrenilabrinae cichlids of the East African Rift, and as such became the "largest" fish "genus". Many of these cichlids ...

'', and while some consensus has been reached in recent years, their mutual delimitation is still far from settled. Based on

mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...

, ''Astatotilapia'' as currently defined is

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

.Genner; Ngatunga; Mzighani; Smith; and Turner (2015). Geographical ancestry of Lake Malawi’s cichlid fish diversity. Biol. Lett. 11: 2015023.

Species

There are currently 10 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Astatotilapia bloyeti ''Astatotilapia bloyeti'' is a species of haplochromine cichlid from the coastal river systems of Tanzania. Reports from other areas of Africa are considered to refer to related species. The IUCN considers it to be endemic to the Pangani River an ...

'' ( Sauvage, 1883) (Bloyet's haplo) * ''

Astatotilapia burtoni ''Astatotilapia burtoni'' is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found in Lake Tanganyika and its surrounding waterways, including parts of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are rivers, intermittent river ...

'' ( Günther, 1894) * ''

Astatotilapia calliptera ''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 ...

'' ( Günther, 1894) (Eastern happy) * ''

Astatotilapia desfontainii ''Astatotilapia desfontainii'' is a species of cichlid found in Algeria and Tunisia. It is found in freshwater spring, irrigated land, and canals and ditches. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss a ...

'' ( Lacépède, 1802) * ''

Astatotilapia flaviijosephi ''Astatotilapia flaviijosephi'', the Jordan mouthbrooder, is a vulnerable species of freshwater fish in the family Cichlidae (cichlids). It is found in the central Jordan River system, including Lake Tiberias (Kinneret), in Israel, Jordan and ...

'' ( Lortet, 1883) (Jordan mouthbrooder) * ''

Astatotilapia paludinosa ''Astatotilapia paludinosa'' is a species of cichlid endemic to Tanzania where it is found in the lower Malagarasi River The Malagarasi River is a river in western Tanzania, flowing through Kigoma Region, although one of its tributaries comes fr ...

'' Greenwood, 1980 * ''

Astatotilapia stappersii ''Astatotilapia stappersii'' is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cichlidae. Adults measure about 15 cm (6 inches) in total length. It is erroneously listed twice in the IUCN Red List, once with a proper entry under its original ...

'' (

Poll Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Figurative head counts * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling places o ...

, 1943) * ''

Astatotilapia swynnertoni ''Astatotilapia swynnertoni'' is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is found in the rivers of Mozambique from the Buzi and lower Pungwe rivers south to the Save River. The specific name honours the English naturalist Charles Francis Mas ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1907) * ''

Astatotilapia tchadensis ''Astatotilapia tchadensis'' is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is found in Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Central African Republic, in Lake Chad and its basin and in Lake Boukou, one of the Lakes of Ounianga Lakes of Ounianga ar ...

'' Trape, 2016Trape, S. (2016): A new cichlid fish in the Sahara: The Ounianga Serir lakes (Chad), a biodiversity hotspot in the desert. ''Comptes Rendus Biologies, 339 (11–12): 529–536.'' * ''

Astatotilapia tweddlei ''Astatotilapia tweddlei'' is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found in Malawi and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater lakes. This species was placed in the genus ''Astatotilapia'' by FishBase which while s ...

'' P. B. N. Jackson, 1985 There are a few possibly

undescribed species In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon (for example, a species) that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. U ...

in the genus, such as: * ''Astatotilapia'' sp. 'dwarf bigeye scraper' * ''Astatotilapia'' sp. 'shovelmouth' ; Names brought to synonymy: * ''Astatotilapia elegans'' (Trewavas, 1933), a synonym for '' Haplochromis elegans''

References

Cichlidae Freshwater fish genera Taxa named by Jacques Pellegrin {{Cichlidae-stub