Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Coelotilapia: "The genus name Coelotilapia Mayland, 1995 was introduced in a popular aquarium book, but it is not available, because it was treated as a questionable new genus, but was described as a generic name under Tilapia and not used in the combination Coelotilapia joka. The name was chosen to refer to the cave-breeding habit, but Mayland refers to the Latin word coelestis, which mean celestial. Very likely he thought of the Greek word ‘koiloma’, which means cavity.".
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 12. Tropical; 23°C - 25°C (Ref. 2060)
Africa: lower courses of rivers from Sierra Leone and western Liberia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5163)
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Diagnosis: micro-gillrakers absent (Ref. 52307, 53405). Small-sized specimens; dorsal fin with 15-17 spines and 11-13 soft rays (mean 17.12); anal fin with 3 spines and 8-9 soft rays; narrow scaly sheet at the base of anal fin; 7-9 lower gill-rakers (Ref. 53405).
Mainly feeds on plants, preferring algae; pair-bonding, open substrate spawner with both parents guarding the brood (Ref. 52307).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Female lays around 200 eggs inside the male's cave. Both parents care for their young.
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 = 1.0000 [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
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).