Checklist of the Mbuna Species Flock
Checklist of the
Labeotropheus trewavasae "marmalade cat"
Latest additions: Melanochromis
Below is an alphabetical checklist of all scientifically
described and named species in the Mbuna species flock of Malawi haplochromine cichlids,
with many links to photo pages. Select the genus desired. Within the checklist for each genus,
you can click on any colored scientific name
(which will look, e.g., like "Cynotilapia afra author and year of description
[e.g., "(Günther, 1894)
If you don't care about this complete
checklist of formally described mbuna species and are looking for
pictured species only ,
see Picture List for the Mbuna Species Flock .
(Other options: You can go to Checklist of the
Malawi "Hap" Species Flock (Alphabetically) or to
Checklist of the Malawi "Hap" Species Flock
(by Color Pattern) , both of which have
links to photos of that flock.)
Cyathochromis Cynotilapia Microchromis )Genyochromis Gephyrochromis Christyella )Iodotropheus Labeotropheus Labidochromis Maylandia Metriaclima )Melanochromis Petrotilapia Pseudotropheus Tropheops )Cyathochromis Trewavas, 1935
Top of page
Cynotilapia Regan, 1922 Microchromis Johnson, 1975 )
Gallery of Cynotilapia
Top of page
Genyochromis Trewavas, 1935
Genyochromis mento —
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
Top of page
Gephyrochromis Boulenger, 1901 Christyella Trewavas, 1935 )
Top of page
Iodotropheus Oliver & Loiselle, 1972
Top of page
Labeotropheus Ahl, 1926
Top of page
Labidochromis Trewavas, 1935 Lewis's (1982) 2-page key to some
Labidochromis species
(112Kb) based on coloration of live males Acrobat Reader for the above can be downloaded free)
Labidochromis caeruleus Fryer, 1956 Breeding L. caeruleus "electric yellow" , by Jessica MillerLabidochromis chisumulae Lewis, 1982
Labidochromis flavigulis Labidochromis freibergi Johnson, 1974
Labidochromis gigas Labidochromis heterodon Lewis, 1982
Labidochromis ianthinus Labidochromis lividus Labidochromis maculicauda Lewis, 1982
Labidochromis mathotho Burgess & Axelrod, 1976
Labidochromis mbenjii Labidochromis mylodon Labidochromis sp. "perlmutt"Labidochromis pallidus Labidochromis shiranus Labidochromis strigatus Lewis, 1982
Labidochromis textilis Oliver, 1975
Labidochromis vellicans Trewavas, 1935 type species
Labidochromis zebroides
Top of page
Maylandia Meyer & Foerster, 1984 Metriaclima Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye (1997)
is a junior synonym of Maylandia , as officially established by
Condé and Géry (1999) . Genus redescribed by Konings & Stauffer (2006) . See also
FAQ about the status of Maylandia versus Metriaclima. )
Note: Maylandia was originally proposed as a subgenus of
Pseudotropheus. The gender of the name is feminine; some species
names need to have their endings changed to agree.
See also Gallery of Miscellaneous Maylandia
Maylandia aurora (Burgess, 1976)
Maylandia barlowi (McKaye & Stauffer, 1986)
Maylandia benetos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia callainos (Stauffer & Hert, 1992) [redescribed by Stauffer et al. (1997) ]
Maylandia chrysomallos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia crabro (Ribbink & Lewis, 1982) [originally described as a Melanochromis ; transferred to Pseudotropheus by Trewavas (1984a) ]
Maylandia cyneusmarginata (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997) Note 7
Maylandia elegans (Trewavas, 1935)
Maylandia emmiltos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995)
Maylandia fainzilberi (Staeck, 1976)
Maylandia flavifemina (Konings & Stauffer, 2006)
Maylandia greshakei (Meyer & Foerster, 1984) type species [redescribed by Stauffer et al. (1997) ]
Maylandia hajomaylandi (Meyer & Schartl, 1984)
Maylandia heteropicta (Staeck, 1980) [redescribed by Stauffer et al. (1997) ]
Maylandia lanisticola (Burgess, 1976)
[Trewavas
(1984a) believed this species to be distinct from M. livingstonii ,
but Konings (1995c) believes it is a synonym
of M. livingstonii ]
Maylandia livingstonii (Boulenger, 1899) [redescribed by Trewavas (1984a) ]
Maylandia lombardoi (Burgess, 1977) Aquaria Central's notes by Bumper Moore
Maylandia mbenjii (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia melabranchion (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia phaeos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia pursa (Stauffer, 1991)
Maylandia pyrsonotos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia sandaracinos (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia thapsinogen (Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye, 1997)
Maylandia xanstomachus (Stauffer & Boltz, 1989) [redescribed by Stauffer et al. (1997) ]
Maylandia zebra (Boulenger, 1899) [redescribed by Stauffer et al. (1997) ]
Top of page
Melanochromis Trewavas, 1935
Melanochromis
The Beautiful Baddies From Lake Malawi
Melanochromis auratus (Boulenger, 1897) Cleared & stained specimen, showing skeleton ;
Aquaria Central's article by Mike McEwan
Melanochromis baliodigma Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis benetos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis brevis Trewavas, 1935
Melanochromis chipokae Johnson, 1975
Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis dialeptos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis elastodema Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis heterochromis Bowers & Stauffer, 1993
Melanochromis interruptus Johnson, 1975
Melanochromis joanjohnsonae (Johnson, 1974) [synonym: M. exasperatus Burgess, 1976 ; see Lewis (1980) ]
Melanochromis johannii (Eccles, 1973)
Melanochromis kaskazini Konings-Dudin, Konings, & Stauffer, 2009 Melanochromis labrosus Trewavas, 1935
Melanochromis lepidiadaptes Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
Melanochromis loriae Johnson, 1975
Melanochromis melanopterus Trewavas, 1935 type species
Melanochromis mellitus Johnson, 1976
Melanochromis mossambiquensis Konings-Dudin, Konings, & Stauffer, 2009 Melanochromis parallelus Burgess & Axelrod, 1976
Melanochromis perileucos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997
[Melanochromis perspicax , see under Pseudotropheus Melanochromis robustus Johnson, 1986
Melanochromis simulans Eccles, 1973
Melanochromis vermivorus Trewavas, 1935
Melanochromis wochepa Konings-Dudin, Konings, & Stauffer, 2009 Melanochromis xanthodigma Bowers & Stauffer, 1997 [M. "blotch," in part, of Ribbink et al., 1983 ]
Top of page
Petrotilapia Trewavas, 1935
Top of page
Pseudotropheus Regan, 1922
Note: Three subgenera have been described, but not all species in the genus have been assigned to a subgenus. The subgenus is indicated for each species when known. The subgenera are the following:
Pseudotropheus (Maylandia Meyer & Foerster, 1984 [type species: P. greshakei Meyer & Foerster, 1984; now recognized as a separate genus (see Maylandia Metriaclima Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye (1997) is a synonym of Maylandia. ]
Pseudotropheus (Pseudotropheus Regan, 1922 [type species: P. williamsi (Günther, 1894)]
Pseudotropheus (Tropheops Trewavas, 1984a (type species: P. tropheops Regan, 1922) -
See Gallery of Pseudotropheus Subgenus Tropheops
Pseudotropheus "acei"Pseudotropheus "aggressive brown"Pseudotropheus "aggressive gray"Pseudotropheus "aggressive gray head"Pseudotropheus "aggressive yellow fin"Pseudotropheus "aggressive yellow head"Pseudotropheus "aggressive zebra"Pseudotropheus ater Stauffer, 1988
[Pseudotropheus aurora , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus barlowi , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus callainos , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus crabro , see under Maylandia Pseudotropheus cyaneus Stauffer, 1988
Pseudotropheus demasoni Konings, 1994 [Pseudotropheus elegans , see under Maylandia Pseudotropheus elongatus Fryer, 1956 (see also Seegers, 1996 )
Gallery of Pseudotropheus Species Resembling P. elongatus [Pseudotropheus estherae , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus fainzilberi , see under Maylandia Pseudotropheus flavus Stauffer, 1988
Pseudotropheus fuscoides Fryer, 1956 Ribbink et al. (1983: 194) suggested
that this might prove to be synonymous with P. fuscus but
provisionally retained both species; Konings
(1995c: 84) considered P. fuscoides a synonym of P. fuscus. ]
Pseudotropheus fuscus Trewavas, 1935
Pseudotropheus galanos Stauffer & Kellogg, 2002 Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) gracilior Trewavas, 1935
[Pseudotropheus greshakei , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus hajomaylandi , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus heteropictus , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus lanisticola , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus livingstonii , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus lombardoi , see under Maylandia Pseudotropheus longior Seegers, 1996
Pseudotropheus lucerna Trewavas, 1935 Pseudotropheus lucerna "brown"Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) macrophthalmus Ahl, 1926
Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) microstoma Pseudotropheus minutus Fryer, 1956
Pseudotropheus modestus Johnson, 1974
Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) novemfasciatus Regan, 1922
Pseudotropheus perspicax (Trewavas, 1935) [originally described as a Melanochromis ; transferred to Pseudotropheus by Ribbink et al. (1983: 194) ]
Pseudotropheus purpuratus Johnson, 1976
[Pseudotropheus pursus , see under Maylandia Pseudotropheus saulosi Konings, 1990 Introducing Pseudotropheus saulosi Konings 1990 , illustrated article by Ad Konings at Cichlid Room CompanionPseudotropheus socolofi Johnson, 1974
Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) tropheops romandi Colombe, 1979
Pseudotropheus (Tropheops) tropheops tropheops Regan, 1922
Pseudotropheus tursiops Burgess & Axelrod, 1975 [should perhaps be transferred to Melanochromis , based on the horizontal stripes]
Pseudotropheus (Pseudotropheus) williamsi (Günther, 1894) type species of genus and subgenus [redescribed by Trewavas (1984a) ]
[Pseudotropheus xanstomachus , see under Maylandia [Pseudotropheus zebra , see under Maylandia Top of page
Last Update: 24 April 2009
Web Author: M. K. Oliver, Ph.D.
Copyright © 1997-2009 by M. K. Oliver - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Three new species of Melanochromis
(follow "Tawil, 2002" link at left for more information)
Note: Based on extensive observations of
Iodotropheus populations in Lake Malawi, Konings (1995c: 90)
believes that I. declivitas is a synonym of I. sprengerae.
(112Kb) based on coloration of live males 
