Above:
Copadichromis ilesi (which has been known as
Copadichromis "virginalis kajose"), the third of the three new Utaka species
described by Konings (1999), along with
C. trewavasae and
C. geertsi.
The fish above is a male, photographed underwater at Gome, Malawi (the
type locality). (Once again, Konings did not illustrate any of his
type specimens of this species, which are deposited in the Musée royal de
l'Afrique Centrale in Tervuren, Belgium.)
The diagnosis for C. ilesi states:
A small cichlid of the genus Copadichromis without spots on the flanks, a member of the 'pure Utaka.' Breeding males are black with a creamy white to yellow 'blaze' and attain about 114 mm in standard length. It differs from other 'pure Utaka' by having more gill rakers (21 to 25) than C. flavimanus and C. inornatus (both fewer than 18), a deeper body than C. mloto, and a shallower body and longer snout than C. virginalis. (Konings, 1999)A valuable part of Konings' 1999 paper is the revised key to his concept of Copadichromis, which excludes striped species (but not unmarked ones). However, the publishers unfortunately introduced errors into the key; for corrections, see my note on this and other editorial gaffes in the article.
Photo by Ad Konings, used by his kind permission and that of
T.F.H. Publications, Inc.
| Last Update: 18 March 2002
Web Author: M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. Copyright © 1997-2021 by M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |