Pungu

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Pungu maclareni 6784662.jpg

| status = CR

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Snoeks, J. |author2=Laleye, P. |author3=Contreras-MacBeath, T. |date=2009 |title=Pungu maclareni |volume=2009 |page=e.T18879A8653955 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T18879A8653955.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}

| taxon = Pungu maclareni

| authority = (Trewavas, 1962)

| display_parents = 3

| parent_authority = Trevawas, 1972

| synonyms = * Barombia maclareni Trewavas, 1962

}}

The pungu (Pungu maclareni) is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon where it prefers shallow waters of about {{convert|1|to|3|m|ft}} in depth. It feeds on invertebrates, sponges, diatoms and macrophytes. This species can reach a length of {{convert|10|cm|in}} SL. It is currently the only known member of its genus,{{FishBase |genus= Pungu|species= maclareni| month = April | year = 2013}} nested within the Sarotherodon.Martin; Cutler; Friel; Touokong; Coop; and Wainwright (2015). Complex histories of repeated gene flow in Cameroon crater lake cichlids cast doubt on one of the clearest examples of sympatric speciation. Evolution 69-6: 1406–1422. {{doi|10.1111/evo.12674}} The pungu is threatened because of pollution and sedimentation from human activities. Konia, Myaka and Stomatepia are three other equally threatened genera of cichlids that also are endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo. The specific name of this fish honours the Fisheries Development Officer of Nigeria, P.I.R. MacLaren (died 1957), who used his position to collect specimens of fishes, including the type of this species.{{cite web | url = http://www.etyfish.org/cichlidae5/ | title = Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (p-y) | access-date = 13 January 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 = 25 September 2018}} The genus name honors common name of this fish used by the Barombi people ("pungu").