''Tropheus'' is a small

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 at least six

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

cichlids 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 th ...

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 ...

to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The genus is widespread across all regions of Lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the north to Zambia in the south. Males and females are relatively similar in color, with only subtle

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

in the form of the male's larger size. All species are maternal

mouthbrooders 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 ...

, with the females caring for their eggs and fry in their mouths; this characteristic provides their

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''Tropheus'', which comes from the Greek ''

trophos Trophos was a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics to treat both orphan Neurodegenerative diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and more prevalent disorders. Trophos was founded in 1999 in ...

'', which means "to nurse" or, according to Boulenger, "one who rears, brings up, educates". The genus is fished lightly by the local population, but has never become a staple food fish due to its relatively small size and its habitat, which enables it to dart between rocks when threatened. Most species occur along the coastal fringes of the lake at depths less than 3 m. These rocky shores, with numerous rocky outcroppings and boulder formations, form a habitat similar to many of the mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi. This habitat provides shelter, and due to the shallow depth and the long hours of strong sunlight, heavy algal growth on which they feed. The only ''Tropheus'' species to dwell further out and deeper in the lake is ''Tropheus duboisi'', which in general inhabits deeper regions of the lake down to around 15–20 m. All species are algal grazers and have underslung mouths adapted to rasping algae and

microinvertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate s ...

s from submerged rocks. The genus is relatively popular with aquarium hobbyists due to the beautiful markings and interesting behavior. ''Tropheus moorii'' in particular has become something of a cult fish within the hobby, in spite of the difficulties involved in keeping species of this genus in captivity.

Species

Six recognized species are in this genus: * '' Tropheus annectens'' Boulenger, 1900 * '' Tropheus brichardi''

Nelissen Nelissen is a Dutch patronymic surname ("Nelis' son"). ''Nelis'' is a short form of the given name Cornelis. The name is most common in Dutch and Belgian Limburg.

& Thys van den Audenaerde, 1975 * '' Tropheus duboisi'' Marlier, 1959 (white spotted cichlid) * '' Tropheus kasabae''

Nelissen Nelissen is a Dutch patronymic surname ("Nelis' son"). ''Nelis'' is a short form of the given name Cornelis. The name is most common in Dutch and Belgian Limburg.

, 1977 * ''

Tropheus moorii ''Tropheus moorii'' (blunthead cichlid) is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Over 40 different color morphs of this species are dispersed throughout the lake, ranging from dark green to flame red and yellow. They mostly ...

'' Boulenger, 1898 (blunthead cichlid) * '' Tropheus polli'' G. S. Axelrod, 1977

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133300 Tropheini Cichlid genera Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger