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Cyprichromis (Cyprichromis coloratus) — Cichlidae

Cyprichromis

Cyprichromis coloratus
Family: Cichlidae

The Cyprichromis (Cyprichromis coloratus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
10.3 cm
Water
Freshwater
Depth
5.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Cyprichromis is a cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The species is slender and colourful and lives, unusually for cichlids, in schools in the open water, one to five metres above rocky bottoms. It catches zooplankton from the water. As a haplochromine cichlid it is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female brooding the eggs in her mouth. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Cyprichromis?

The Cyprichromis has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly blue and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Cyprichromis live?

The Cyprichromis lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Cyprichromis get?

The Cyprichromis grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Cyprichromis dangerous to humans?

No, the Cyprichromis is harmless to humans.

Is the Cyprichromis edible?

The Cyprichromis is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Tanganyika-sardientjescichlide sourced
English name
Cyprichromis sourced
Scientific name
Cyprichromis coloratus
Family
Cichlidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
10.3 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Blue inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
Yes inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Cyprichromis

More from the family Cichlidae

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