''Melanochromis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of haplochromine cichlids

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 else ...

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 fr ...

Eastern 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 historica ...

Ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

ly, they belong to the rock-dwelling mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi. ''Melanochromis'' are typically small, slim but muscular fishes with lengthwise stripes of black, yellow and blue. They usually display strong sexual dichromatism.

Species

There are currently 15 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Melanochromis auratus ''Melanochromis auratus'', the auratus cichlid, is a freshwater fish of the cichlid family. It is also known as golden mbuna and Malawi golden cichlid. It is endemic to the southern region of Lake Malawi, particularly from Jalo Reef southward ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1897) (Golden Mbuna, Auratus Cichlid, Malawi Golden Cichlid) * '' Melanochromis baliodigma'' Bowers & Stauffer, 1997 * '' Melanochromis chipokae'' D. S. Johnson, 1975 * '' Melanochromis dialeptos'' Bowers & Stauffer, 1997 * '' Melanochromis heterochromis'' Bowers & Stauffer, 1993 * '' Melanochromis kaskazini'' Konings-Dudin,

Konings Konings is a Dutch surname and may refer to: * Ad Konings (b. 1956), Dutch ichthyologist * Anthony Konings (1821–1884), Dutch Catholic priest and Redemptorist professor * Jean Konings (1886–1974), Belgian sprinter *Giovanni Matteo Konin ...

& Stauffer, 2009 * '' Melanochromis lepidiadaptes'' Bowers & Stauffer, 1997 * '' Melanochromis loriae'' D. S. Johnson, 1975 * '' Melanochromis melanopterus'' Trewavas, 1935 * '' Melanochromis mossambiquensis'' Konings-Dudin,

& Stauffer, 2009 * '' Melanochromis mpoto''

& Stauffer, 2012. * '' Melanochromis robustus'' D. S. Johnson, 1985 * '' Melanochromis simulans'' Eccles, 1973 * '' Melanochromis vermivorus'' Trewavas, 1935 (Purple Mbuna) * '' Melanochromis wochepa'' Konings-Dudin,

& Stauffer, 2009

References

Haplochromini * Cichlid genera Taxa named by Ethelwynn Trewavas {{Cichlidae-stub