Unidentified Riverine Mozambique Cichlid?

[Mark Smith]

Lawrence Kent has kindly given Cichlidae.com permission to post this image that he took of an interesting cichlid species he recently caught in the Umbeluzi River, 12 miles southwest of Maputo, Mozambique.

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what this might be? My first guess is that it belongs to the genus Oreochromis...

[Rico Morgenstern]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what this might be? My first guess is that it belongs to the genus Oreochromis...

You are right, Mark. Of the two two species occuring naturally in that area, O. mossambicus and O. placidus I would tentatively identify it with the latter, for O. mossambicus is less deep bodied and has usually a more silvery to grayish color when not breeding. Larger specimens are more distinct, and there are striking color differences in breeding males. The number of anal fin spines is not detectable with certainty on the picture, O. mossambicus has always three, O. placidus usually four (but there are occasional specimens with three spines), so a specimen with four spines would be more readily to identify.

Two other species, Oreochromis niloticus and O. aureus are introduced to Southern Africa and may also be present there, but they are easily distinguishable from the native species even when young.

RM

[EC]

an interesting cichlid species he recently caught in the Umbeluzi River

Mark, no shots of Chetia brevis?

Ciao Enrico

http://waterpollo.blogspot.com/

[Mark Smith]

Unfortunately not. I would love to see and maintain that species of Chetia some day.

[cedricguppy]

Je suis assez d'accord avec vous Rico Morgenstern : la coloration est plus argenté chez O. mossambicus de plus les mâles sont souvent déjà beaucoup coloré sombre "noir". Les femelles ne possèdent pas habituellement de tâches sombres "noir" sur le corps, juste des barres (en générale)

Je pense plus à Oreochromis placidus placidus pour la coloration (exacte les rayons anales ne sont pas visible correctement), pour la hauteur de corps, plus haut que O. mossambicus et pour le liseré externe de la nageoire caudale "orangé" également plus large que sur O. mossambicus. (ressemble un peu à O. mocrochir, dans la taille)

C'est dans tous les cas un super poisson, très jolie photo de spécimen


"""I quite agree with you Rico Morgenstern: coloring is more silver in O. mossambicus more males are often already very dark colored "black". Females do not usually have dark spots "black" on the body, just bars (in general)

I think more Oreochromis placidus placidus for staining (exact anal rays are not visible properly) for body height, higher than O. mossambicus and the external border of the caudal fin "orange" also larger than O. mossambicus. (a little like O. mocrochir in size)

In all cases a great fish, very nice photo of specimen """

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

it is for sure Oreochromis placidus (Trewavas, 1941), I found it there as well.

best regards

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[Mark Smith]

Thanks for the ID!