Gnathochromis pfefferi

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Gnathochromis pfefferi

| image = Gnathochromis pfefferi2.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Ntakimazi, G. |date=2006 |title=Gnathochromis pfefferi |volume=2006 |page=e.T60492A12364430 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T60492A12364430.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}

| taxon = Gnathochromis pfefferi

| authority = (Boulenger, 1898)

| synonyms = *Paratilapia pfefferi Boulenger, 1898

• Haplochrmomis pfefferi (Boulenger, 1898)
• Limnochromis pfefferi (Boulenger, 1898)

}}

Gnathochromis pfefferi is an African species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and its slow-flowing tributaries in the countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. It is common and widespread. This cichlid is found in relatively shallow waters, typically over soft bottoms in places with aquatic grasses.

It reaches up to {{convert|14|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length,{{FishBase | genus = Gnathochromis | species = pfefferi | month = April| year = 2017}} and females are a little smaller than males.Tanganyika: [http://www.tanganyika.nl/G_pfefferi.php Gnathochromis pfefferi.] Retrieved 7 April 2017. It eats invertebrates (especially shrimpOchi, H. (1993). Maintenance of Separate Territories for Mating and Feeding by Males of a Maternal Mouthbrooding Cichlid, Gnathochromis pfefferi, in Lake Tanganyika. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 40(2): 173-182.) and plant material. Like many other Tanganyika cichlids, it is a mouthbrooder and sometimes kept in aquariums.

Although currently included in the genus Gnathochromis, it is distantly related to the type species G. permaxillaris (tribe Limnochromini), instead being closer to Tropheini.Duftner; Koblmüller; and Sturmbauer (2005.) Evolutionary Relationships of the Limnochromini, a Tribe of Benthic Deepwater Cichlid Fish Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. J Mol Evol 60: 277–289. doi: 10.1007/s00239-004-0017-8. The specific name honours the German zoologist Georg Johann Pfeffer (1854-1931).{{cite web | url = http://www.etyfish.org/cichlidae2/ | title = Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (a-g) | accessdate= 2 February 2019 | author1 = Christopher Scharpf | author2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style=amp | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 22 July 2018}}