Tropheus derivation of the name

[James Shingler]

I am rather confused I read different derivations for this genus.

Greek "trophe" = "nutrition"
Greek "trophos" = "to nurture"
Greek tropho(s) = "nourished"
Greek, tropaion = defeat, a memorial of a fighting war, trophy; because of their specialized teeth were such an obvious feeding adaptation

Anyone know which, if any, is provably right?

[Bojan Dolenc]

In my opinion:
Tropheus (M) = from "trophos" = "to nurture", relating to their mouth brooding raring method and not "eater" relating to their obvious feeding specializations in the teeth or even from "nutrition".
So is also writen in the German book "Die namen unsere Aquarienfish" - Werner Schmettkamp (Landbuch Verlag GmbH, Hannover, 1985).

[chris murphy]

Trophos To foster

[a.d.wood]

I recently recieved the explanation below from a colleague when I was after some assistance on etymology for the Tropheus group:

Unusually Boulenger actually explains, and I quote, "The name proposed (Tropheus, one who rears, brings up, educates) refers to the peculiar mode of nursing the eggs described hereafter." You see, one of the type specimens of T. moorii was a female brooding 4 large eggs and this was new to Boulenger, he was familiar only with male mouthbrooding in Tilapia. He talks about it at length. He had no way of knowing that so many other taxa he described were also maternal mouthbrooders. We take it for granted!

Andrew

[James Shingler]

Thank you all for the replies. Seems the answer is close. We know what feature of those first collected Tropheus was used to name them (Thanks to Andrews research).
But what word and translation was used seems to be still unclear or unproven.
Yes?