Perissodus straeleni
| Perissodus straeleni | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Perissodus |
| Species: | P. straeleni
|
| Binomial name | |
| Perissodus straeleni (Poll, 1948)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Perissodus straeleni is a species of cichlid fish that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. This species can reach a total length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in).[2]
Like all species of Perissodus, this fish is a scale-eater.[2][3] Unlike other members of its genus, it has a distinctive striped pattern and closely resembles the harmless Neolamprologus sexfasciatus. It uses this aggressive mimicry to be able to approach unsuspecting fish and rapidly take a mouthful of scales.[4] It also resembles the larger Cyphotilapia and has been recorded swimming among their schools, but this may be protective rather than aggressive mimicry.[4] Although it may attack the species it mimics, most victims are other species[4] and under some circumstances it will feed on fish eggs.[5]
The specific name honours the Belgian paleontologist and carcinologist Victor van Straelen (1889-1964) who was Director of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.[6]
References
- ^ Mabo, L. (2025). "Perissodus straeleni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2025 e.T60657A47206514. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T60657A47206514.en. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Plecodus straeleni". FishBase. April 2013 version.
- ^ Takahashi, R.; Watanabe, K.; Nishida, M.; Hori, M. (2007). "Evolution of feeding specialization in Tanganyikan scale-eating cichlids: A molecular phylogenetic approach". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 7 (1): 195. Bibcode:2007BMCEE...7..195T. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-7-195. PMC 2212659. PMID 17945014.
- ^ a b c Nicolas Boileau; Fabio Cortesi; Bernd Egger; Moritz Muschick; Adrian Indermaur; Anya Theis; Heinz H. Büscher; Walter Salzburger (2015). "A complex mode of aggressive mimicry in a scale-eating cichlid fish". Biol Lett. 11 (9) 20150521. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0521. PMC 4614428. PMID 26399975.
- ^ Nshombo, M. (1991). "Occasional egg-eating by the scale-eater Plecodus straeleni (Cichlidae) of Lake Tanganyika". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 31 (2): 207–212. Bibcode:1991EnvBF..31..207N. doi:10.1007/BF00001022.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (25 September 2018). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (p-y)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 9 February 2019.