Again ID's of some southern African cichlids...

[Adrian Indermaur]

Hy,

I am identifing these fish and would like to know your unbiased opinion on the identity of these specimens. The first two are from the Saisi River south of LT (Lake Rukwa drainage) and the other three are from the lower Kafue. Thanks in advance.

Adrian

[Rico Morgenstern]

Hi Adrian,
interesting pics as usual.

The upper fish is clearly Tilapia rendalli

I have no real idea about the next one, somehow it looks like a Sargochromis species. This genus was hitherto not reported from the Lake Rukwa drainage, however, the fish fauna of the Saisi River subsystem shows some affinities to that of the Zambian Congo drainage, where the genus is represented by S. mellandi. This species is usually less slender, although the body depth (as far as determinable from a photo) would fall within the range geven for S. mellandi in the most recent species level revision (Bell-Cross 1975). Nevertheless I do not dare to say it is that species. Note, however, that the quite differently shaped fish figured in FishBase is misidentified.

The next one is also difficult. Could the somewhat blotchy pattern be the result of a damage of the skin or incipient decay? Judging from the shape it could also be a Sargochromis species, pherhaps a halfgrown S. codringtonii

The fourth fish looks like an adult S. codringtonii judging from both shape and coloration.

The fifth is a Serranochromis, in all probability S. macrocephalus

[Adrian Indermaur]

Hy Rico,

thanks for the detailed answer as usual.
I largely agree with your assignements. The T. rendalli is clear and the other Saisi fish I would also have placed in Sargochromis but I didn't know they would expand that far north-east. Do you know if Seegers mentions anything in "The Fishes of the Lake Rukwa drainage" ?
For the fish of the Kafue the S. codringtonii seems a good "guess". I'm still to unfamiliar with the genus to be really sure. I'm changing this at the moment though. Serranochromis macrocephalus is also what I had for the last fish.
What I really fanzy is the first of the Kafue pictures. The fish could very well be a juv. Sargochromis but to me it looks more like a Haplochromis-like species.
The blue-turquoise hue under the mouth and the reddish anal and also caudal fin, the few large (as opposed to many and scatterd spots in Sargochromis) eggspots and the overall more delicate body shape are indications for me. I maybe totally wrong there though. The scetchy pattern of the fish is of course due to early decay.
All of these pics are older samples that I stumbled on just reacently and I'm gonna try to do some genetic analysis in the next time. I'll be back if there is news.

Greets

Adrian

[Adrian Indermaur]

...and an addition:

I have found some more pictures and noticed that two of the "Sargochromis" seem to be to different species. What's your opinion on them?

S. codringtonii (?)

and the new one Sargochromis sp. ?

01B4.JPG (66.29 KiB) Viewed 772 times

Thanks

Adrian

[Christophe de Medeiros]

Hi Both seem to be from the same species to me
xris