Melanochromis
{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Melanochromis auratus 1.jpg
| image_caption = Male Golden Mbuna (Melanochromis auratus)
| taxon = Melanochromis
| authority = Trewavas, 1935
| type_species = Melanochromis melanopterus
| type_species_authority = Trewavas, 1935
}}
Melanochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa. Ecologically, they belong to the rock-dwelling mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi.
Melanochromis are typically small, slim but muscular fishes with lengthwise stripes of black, yellow and blue. They usually display strong sexual dichromatism.
Species
There are currently 15 recognized species in this genus:
- Melanochromis auratus (Boulenger, 1897) (Golden Mbuna, Auratus Cichlid, Malawi Golden Cichlid)
- Melanochromis baliodigma Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
- Melanochromis chipokae D. S. Johnson, 1975
- Melanochromis dialeptos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
- Melanochromis heterochromis Bowers & Stauffer, 1993
- Melanochromis kaskazini Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009
- Melanochromis lepidiadaptes Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
- Melanochromis loriae D. S. Johnson, 1975
- Melanochromis melanopterus Trewavas, 1935
- Melanochromis mossambiquensis Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009
- Melanochromis mpoto Konings & Stauffer, 2012.{{cite journal | journal = Zootaxa | volume = 3258 | year = 2012 | pages = 1–27 | title = Review of the Lake Malaŵi genus Melanochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with a description of a new species | url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/zt03258p027.pdf |author1=Konings, Adrianus F. |author2=Stauffer Jr., Jay R. | doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.3258.1.1 }}
- Melanochromis robustus D. S. Johnson, 1985
- Melanochromis simulans Eccles, 1973
- Melanochromis vermivorus Trewavas, 1935 (Purple Mbuna)
- Melanochromis wochepa Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009
References
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q256582}}
Category:Taxa named by Ethelwynn Trewavas
{{Pseudocrenilabrinae-stub}}