Abstract
A new paedophagous species of Protomelas, P. krampus sp. nov., is described from Lake Malawi. It has been found in Lukoma Bay in Tanzania, near Mara Point in Mozambique, and at Otter Point, Chizumulu, the Likoma Islands and Mazinzi Reef in Malawi. This species is placed in the genus Protomelas based on its melanin pattern, which comprises a continuous midlateral stripe. A morphometric study was done to compare this species with its congeners and similar species of Hemitaeniochromis and Caprichromis. It differs from most congeners by having only one inner tooth row. Furthermore, P. krampus sp. nov. differs from P. insignis, P. spilopterus, H. brachyrhynchus, H. urotaenia, Caprichromis liemi and C. orthognathus by its shorter premaxillary pedicel, shorter prepectoral distances and dentition. It also differs largely in its melanin pattern from the paedophagous species C. liemi, C. orthognathus, Diplotaxodon greenwoodi and Naevochromis chrysogaster, as well as H. brachyrhynchus and H. urotaenia. Protomelas krampus sp. nov. has been observed to ram mouth-brooding cichlids from above to feed on their eggs or larvae.
Highlights
Lake Malawi is home to about 800 to 1000 species of endemic cichlids (Snoeks 2000; Konings 2016)
P. krampus sp. nov. differs from P. insignis, P. spilopterus, H. brachyrhynchus, H. urotaenia, Caprichromis liemi and C. orthognathus by its shorter premaxillary pedicel, shorter prepectoral distances and dentition
Based on its melanin pattern, the new species was assigned to the genus Protomelas
Summary
Lake Malawi is home to about 800 to 1000 species of endemic cichlids (Snoeks 2000; Konings 2016). Because of their explosive speciation, species can be difficult to delineate and many species complexes and genera still need to be taxonomically resolved. Jaws are short and the length of the premaxillary pedicel is less than one third that of the head Representatives of this genus have bicuspid anterior outer teeth that may be replaced by unicuspid teeth in adults; posterior outer teeth are simple (Eccles & Trewavas 1989). There is, major confusion on the precise delimitation of the genera Protomelas and Hemitaeniochromis (Snoeks & Hanssens 2004; Oliver 2012)
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