Cyprichromis
Encyclopedia
Cyprichromis is a genus
of cichlid
s with five species. They are also known as the herring cichlids or sardine cichlids since they form large schools
in the open water of Lake Tanganyika
. Of the known species, only C. microlepidotus
has been recorded outside Lake Tanganyika (in eastern Tanzania
).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s with five species. They are also known as the herring cichlids or sardine cichlids since they form large schools
Shoaling and schooling
In biology, any group of fish that stay together for social reasons are said to be shoaling , and if, in addition, the group is swimming in the same direction in a coordinated manner, they are said to be schooling . In common usage, the terms are sometimes used rather loosely...
in the open water of Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
. Of the known species, only C. microlepidotus
Cyprichromis microlepidotus
Cyprichromis microlepidotus is an African species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is sometimes considered endemic to Lake Tanganyika, but has also been recorded in eastern Tanzania.-References:...
has been recorded outside Lake Tanganyika (in eastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
).