| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | ACTINOPTERYGII | PERCIFORMES | CICHLIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Protomelas kirkii |
| Species Authority: | (Günther, 1894) |
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Least Concern ver 3.1 |
| Year Assessed: | 2006 |
| Assessor/s: | Kasembe, J. |
| Reviewer/s: | Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme) |
|
Justification: Endemic to Lakes Malawi, Malombe and the Shire River where it is widespread with no known major widespread threats. |
|
| Range Description: | Endemic to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the Shire River as far as the Kapachira Falls. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Malawi; Mozambique; Tanzania, United Republic of
|
| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
|
| Population: | No information available. |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
|
| Habitat and Ecology: | Abundant in shallow sandy shores and shallow sheltered vegetated areas. Feeds primarily on invertebrates and small molluscs. Forages in groups. Breeding occurs in July to September in shallow water (about 2 m depth) where breeding males construct shallow sand castle nests in colonies. Known as "Haplochromis similis" in the aquarium trade. |
| Systems: | Freshwater |
| Major Threat(s): | Small meshed seines operating along shallow sandy shores that destroy nesting areas. |
| Conservation Actions: | No information available. |
| Citation: | Kasembe, J. 2006. Protomelas kirkii. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012. |
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