''Serranochromis'' 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 relatively large, robust
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 ...
s from freshwater habitats in mainland
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
, ranging as far north as
DR Congo and
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
, with the highest
species richness
Species richness is the number of different species represented in an ecological community, landscape or region. Species richness is simply a count of species, and it does not take into account the abundances of the species or their relative a ...
in the upper
Zambezi
The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...
,
Okavango and
Congo basins.
They are typically known as largemouths or, especially among fishers, breams (although unrelated to other fish known as "
bream
Bream ( ) are species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Acanthopagrus'', ''Argyrops'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', ''Etelis'', '' L ...
").
''Serranochromis'' are mostly piscivore
A piscivore () is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. The name ''piscivore'' is derived . Piscivore is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophage, both of which mean "fish eater". Fish were the diet of early tetrapod evoluti ...
s and they are important in local fisheries.[
]
Habitat
''Serranochromis'' live in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, ranging from shallow, heavily vegetated waters to deep, open waters. This includes main river channels, backwaters, floodplains, lakes and lagoons, but only a few of the species have been recorded in fast-flowing waters. Smaller ''Serranochromis'' tend to avoid open waters if common tigerfish are present, but the largest ''Serranochromis'' are generally too large to be considered typical prey to common tigerfish and they co-exist in the same habitat.[
]
Appearance and behavior
Depending on the exact species of ''Serranochromis'', the maximum length is between ,[ and the largest species can reach up to in weight.][
They feed almost entirely on small fish, especially other cichlids, ]cyprinid
Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest ver ...
s, elephantfish and squeaker catfish, but some will also take invertebrates.[ Although all will take most types of small fish, there is a level of specialisation: ''S. altus'' is ]nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
or crepuscular
In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylig ...
, similar to its main prey, the elephantfish. ''S. angusticeps'' is well-camouflaged among dense aquatic vegetation, which allows it to slowly approach its main prey, small cyprinids. ''S. jallae'' has a particularly robust mouth and teeth suitable for dealing with its main prey, the spiny and heavily armored squeaker catfish (however, young ''S. jallae'' mostly feed on small cyprinids and aquatic insects).[
''Serranochromis'' are ]mouthbrooder
Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...
s and most—if not all—species are seasonal breeders that begin spawning around the end of the low water period. They generally reach maturity when two or three years old.[
]
Fishing and conservation status
''Serranochromis'' support important commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
and subsistence fisheries
A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as supporting oneself at a minimum level. Often, the subsistence econo ...
,[ and are also valued as ]game fish
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commercial ...
.[ ''S. jallae'' has been introduced for fishing to some places in Southern Africa outside its original range and in these places it can have an adverse effect on small native fish, especially cyprinids. Conversely, ''S. robustus'' has declined drastically in its native range due to overfishing, leading the ]IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
to rate it as critically endangered. ''S. meridianus'' is considered endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
due to habitat degradation
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
and the poorly known ''S. janus'' is considered data deficient (available information is insufficient for determining its conservation status), while the remaining species in the genus are least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
(not threatened).
Species and taxonomy
According to FishBase
FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web. , there are currently 11 recognized species in this genus:[
* '' Serranochromis altus'' Winemiller & Kelso-Winemiller, 1991 (Humpback largemouth)
* '' Serranochromis angusticeps'' ( Boulenger, 1907) (Speckleface bream, thinface cichlid)
* '' Serranochromis jallae'' ( Boulenger, 1896) (Nembwe)
* '' Serranochromis janus'' Trewavas, 1964
* '' Serranochromis longimanus'' ( Boulenger, 1911) (Longfin largemouth)
* '' Serranochromis macrocephalus'' ( Boulenger, 1899) (Purpleface largemouth)
* '' Serranochromis meridianus'' R. A. Jubb, 1967 (Lowveld largemouth)
* '' Serranochromis robustus'' ( Günther, 1864) (Yellow-belly bream)
* '' Serranochromis spei'' Trewavas, 1964
* '' Serranochromis stappersi'' Trewavas, 1964
* '' Serranochromis thumbergi'' ( Castelnau, 1861) (Brownspot largemouth)
A few other, 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 ...
are known from the genus. Furthermore, the taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
of the ''S. macrocephalus'' and ''S. robustus'' complexes is not fully resolved. 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 ...
, both are 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 ...
.[ A partial solution to the ''S. robustus'' complex has been to recognize ''jallae'' as its own species,][ instead of the traditional treatment where it was considered a ]subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of ''S. robustus''.
Additionally, '' Sargochromis'' (the "smallmouths"; found in the same overall region and mostly feed on invertebrates) has been considered a subgenus of ''Serranochromis'',[ but today it is generally recognized as a separate genus. These genera, along with '']Chetia
''Chetia'' is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to riverine habitats in southern Africa, as well as the Congo River Basin.
Species
There are currently six recognized species in this genus:
* '' Chetia brevicauda'' I. R. Bills & Olaf, 20 ...
'', ''Pharyngochromis
''Pharyngochromis'' is a genus of cichlids native to Southern Africa where they are only known from the Zambezi, Okavango Basin, Okavango, Save River (Africa), Save–Runde River, Runde and Kunene River, Kunene basins. There are two species, whic ...
'' and others, form a group sometimes known as the serranochromines or Serranochromini. How many other genera that are included varies, with some defining the group relatively narrowly and others broadly.[ Genetic evidence indicates that several genera in this group, including ''Serranochromis'', are not ]monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2704866
Haplochromini
Cichlid fish of Africa
Cichlid genera
Taxa named by Charles Tate Regan
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot