Lethrinops longipinnis Eccles & Lewis
Text & photo by Guest Author: Prof. George F. Turner, Bangor University, UK

Above: A male Lethrinops longipinnis. This is a deep-bodied, laterally compressed species with a long steeply sloping snout, and a small ventrally placed mouth. It differs from L. lethrinus in its lack of dark markings. The snout is longer than that of L. "deep-water albus", which has a similar male breeding dress with strong vertical barring, dark fins and a bluish iridescence on the head. It is very similar to Lethrinops argenteus, a shallow water species in which the ripe males are more brownish and less strongly barred, and have a dark reddish nape. The maximum recorded size is 21 cm (8¼ inches) TL (total length). It is reported to feed mainly on chironomid larvae, but also copepods, algae, and detritus. It is one of the dominant species in the southern soft-bottom habitats at depths of 40-70m (130-230 feet), but is not generally found deeper than 95m (310 feet). The photo below shows a female possibly referable to this species.

This Lethrinops female resembles L. longipinnis, but the identification to species needs to be verified against depth records (photo © by G.F. Turner)

	Suggested citation of this page: Turner, G.F. (2004) Lethrinops longipinnis Eccles & Lewis. http://malawicichlids.com/mw08128.htm. In: "The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa" (M.K. Oliver, webmaster), http://malawicichlids.com. Accessed [date].
	Page first posted: 31 May 2004 Web Author: M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. Copyright © 1997-2021 by M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED