Maylandia crabro

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	CICHLIDAE

Scientific Name:	Maylandia crabro
Species Authority:	(Ribbink & Lewis, 1982)

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2006
Assessor/s:	Kasembe, J.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Endemic to Lake Malawi where it is widespread with no major widespread threats identified.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Lake Malawi where it has a wide distribution (although rare at most locations), but it does not occur north of Hongi Island on the eastern side or north of Mara rocks on the western side.
Countries:	Native: Malawi; Mozambique; Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	No information available.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Occurs in all habitat types but most frequently in large caves or near large boulders. It usually occurs in places where the catfish Bagrus meridionalis (locally known as kampango) occurs. It feeds on aufwuchs and plankton but is specialised in cleaning parasites only from kampango. It has also been observed stealing eggs from beneath guarding kampango pairs. Females and non-breeding males school in the open water. It is known as "Pseudotropheus chameleo and Melanochromis crabro" in the aquarium trade. It has been given the name Pseudotropheus chameleo due to its ability to quickly change its characteristic colour pattern of yellow with brown bars to a uniform dull brown. Max. size: 12 cm (TL).
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Occurs in all habitat types but most frequently in large caves or near large boulders. It usually occurs in places where the catfish Bagrus meridionalis (locally known as kampango) occurs. It feeds on aufwuchs and plankton but is specialised in cleaning parasites only from kampango. It has also been observed stealing eggs from beneath guarding kampango pairs. Females and non-breeding males school in the open water. It is known as "Pseudotropheus chameleo and Melanochromis crabro" in the aquarium trade. It has been given the name Pseudotropheus chameleo due to its ability to quickly change its characteristic colour pattern of yellow with brown bars to a uniform dull brown. Max. size: 12 cm (TL).

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Sedimentation. Collection for the aquarium trade. Subsistence fishing.

Major Threat(s):

Sedimentation. Collection for the aquarium trade. Subsistence fishing.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None.

Conservation Actions:

None.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006. Konings, A. 1990. Konings's Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City New Jersey. Konings, A. 1995. Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat. Second Edition. Cichlid Press, St. Leon-Rot, Germany.

IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.

Konings, A. 1990. Konings's Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City New Jersey.

Konings, A. 1995. Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat. Second Edition. Cichlid Press, St. Leon-Rot, Germany.

Citation:	Kasembe, J. 2006. Maylandia crabro. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2013.
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