''Labidochromis'' 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
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 ...
fishes that are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
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 fre ...
in
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
. The genus includes 18 formally described species, and several yet
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 ...
. It includes a number of species commonly kept in cichlid
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 ...
s such as ''
L. caeruleus'' (electric yellow). The species in this genus can easily
hybridize
Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to:
*Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid
*Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals
*Nu ...
, so if kept in an aquarium it is recommended to only have one species from this genus.
Species
There are currently 18 recognized species in this genus:
* ''
Labidochromis caeruleus
''Labidochromis caeruleus'' is a species of cichlid endemic to the central western coastal region of Lake Malawi in East Africa. It is also known as lemon yellow lab, the blue streak hap, the electric yellow or yellow prince, depending on the co ...
''
Fryer, 1956 (Blue streak hap)
* ''
Labidochromis chisumulae''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis flavigulis''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982 (Chisumulu pearl)
* ''
Labidochromis freibergi''
D. S. Johnson, 1974
* ''
Labidochromis gigas''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis heterodon''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis ianthinus''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis lividus''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis maculicauda''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis mathotho''
W. E. Burgess & H. R. Axelrod, 1976
* ''
Labidochromis mbenjii''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis mylodon''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis pallidus''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis shiranus''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis strigatus''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
* ''
Labidochromis textilis''
M. K. Oliver, 1975
* ''
Labidochromis vellicans''
Trewavas, 1935
* ''
Labidochromis zebroides''
D. S. C. Lewis, 1982
There is also one potentially undescribed species:
* ''
Labidochromis sp. Hongi''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134088
Haplochromini
Cichlid genera
*
Taxa named by Ethelwynn Trewavas