Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: nigrans: The specific epithet, nigrans, is a Latin adjective, meaning dark(ly) coloured (Ref. 85854).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Lake Ejagham in Cameroon (Ref. 85854).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85854)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: Coptodon nigrans differs from all Tilapia sensu lato, and Coptodon, except for a few members, in quadricuspid to pentacuspid posterior pharyngeal teeth on lower pharyngeal jaw; quadricuspid teeth are known from C. tholloni, C. cameronensis, C. dageti, C. congica, C. deckerti, and partially from C. ejagham (Ref. 85854). It differs from C. cameronensis, C. ismailiaensis and C. dageti in longer lower jaw, 13.9-17.3% of standard length vs. 9.6-13.2%; from C. tholloni in longer snout length, 15.8-18.2% of standard length vs. 11.7-14.6%; from C. congica in lesser body depth, 34.9-40.2% of standard length vs. 41.5-49.2%; and from C. kottae in narrower interorbital width, 10.0-11.8% of standard length vs. 12.4-14.0% (Ref. 85854). Differences to C. deckerti are based on a combination of morphometric, life history, genetic and ecological data, e.g. in longer snout length, 15.8-18.2% vs. 12.7-15.6%, by breeding exclusively in excavated caves below 5 m water depth, vs. always breeding above 2 m; the smallest reproductvely active specimens of C. nigrans are larger than largest reproductively active C. deckerti specimen (Ref. 85854). it differs from C. ejagham in dark square-shaped blotches at base of each flank scale, filled or with a light coloured window at centre of blotch, vs. flank scales with a dark scale margin and a light centre, especially on scales below lateral line (Ref. 85854).
This species breeds exclusively in excavated caves below 5 m depth (Ref. 85854).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Dunz, A.R. and U.K. Schliewen, 2013. Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the haplotilapiine cichlid fishes formerly referred to as "Tilapia". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 68(1):64-80. (Ref. 93285)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.6 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
