Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Haplochromis: Greek, Haploos = single + Greek, chromis = a fish, perhaps a perch (Ref. 45335); coprologus: The name coprologus comes from the Greek word for dustman; 'κοπρολόγος', the name refers to the detritivorous feeding habits of this species, collecting detritus from mud bottoms (Ref. 85523).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Lake Victoria (Ref. 85523).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85523)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 28 - 30. Diagnosis: Haplochromis coprologus is a small sized (less than 8 cm standard length), micrognathic species with a diamond-shaped body outline, dorsal head profile straight to incurved above the eye; mouth oblique with relatively small, mainly bicuspid teeth (Ref. 85523). It differs from Haplochromis erythrocephalus, the only other described small species with similar body outline, in live colouration of sexually active males: H. coprologus is almost completely black, whereas H. erythrocephalus has a bright red head and the remainder of the body colouration is yellowish; further, differences are present in interorbital width, snout length, eye length, lower jaw length and the lower jaw length/width ratio (Ref. 85523). Haplochromis coprologus differs from the similarly coloured H. piceatus mainly in body depth, which is higher in H. coprologus than in the sympatric population of H. piceatus from the Mwanza Gulf, and a larger eye length (Ref. 85523). The reddish parts in the caudal and anal fin of H. coprologus are generally smaller than in H. piceatus; moreover, in H. coprologus these parts are generally dark red and in H. piceatus orange to orange-red (Ref. 85523). Haplochromis coprologus differs from H. antleter, which has a similar male colouration, in its dorsal head profile which is straight to incurved above the eye in H. coprologus and moderately curved in H. antleter; the lower jaw in H. coprologus is longer, narrower and more oblique than in H. antleter; the number of gill rakers on the lower part of the first gill arch is higher in H. coprologus, 11-12, than in H. antleter, 10 (Ref. 85523).
Before the ecological changes, this species occurred in the sub-littoral areas of the Mwanza Gulf, mainly over mud bottoms; juveniles occured in sheltered bays (Ref. 85523). It fed mainly on detritus during daytime; other important food items comprised the diatom Aulacoseira and copepods (Ref. 85523). This species is a female mouth brooder; like most other detritivorous species, it is a seasonal spawner; sexually active males were abundant from March till October, brooding females were abundant from March till September (Ref. 85523).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
This species is a female mouth brooder; like most other detritivorous species, it is a seasonal spawner; sexually active males were abundant from March till October, brooding females were abundant from March till September (Ref. 85523).
de Zeeuw, M.P., M. Mietes, P. Niemantsverdriet, S. ter Huurne and F. Witte, 2010. Seven new species of detritivorous and phytoplanktivorous haplochromines from Lake Victoria. Zool. Meded. Leiden 84:201-250. (Ref. 85523)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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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=0.01514 (0.00700 - 0.03275), b=2.97 (2.80 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
