Protomelas kirkii : fisheries, aquarium

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Protomelas kirkii (Günther, 1894)

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drawing shows typical species in Cichlidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Protomelas: Greek, protos = the first + Greek, melas, melanos = black (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Sir John Kirk (1832–1922) was a Scottish physician, naturalist, explorer and administrator in Africa. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Günther.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 13°S - 17°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Occurs in the south-east arm of Lake Malawi and upper Shire River.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 18.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4996)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 30. Differs from P. marginatus and P. similis in having a group of enlarged pharyngeal teeth and from P. labridens in having a straight snout profile and a larger mouth, with the lower jaw one third or more of the head length.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits shallow vegetated inshore areas of the lake where it is commonly found around patches of Vallisneria. Feeds on invertebrates including the small gastropod, Gabiella stanleyi (Ref. 267).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Maréchal, C., 1991. Protomelas. p. 387-393. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 4996)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 June 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
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Life cycle
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Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
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Eggs
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