See text below photo

 

Lethrinops "deep-water albus"
Text & photo by Guest Author: Prof. George F. Turner, Bangor University, UK

This undescribed species has a large head and eye and is superficially similar to L. gossei, from which it can be distinguished by the absence of a V-shaped cleft in the upper jaw and by the lower number of lower gillrakers (9 compared to 18-20 in L. gossei). This species has very similar meristics (counts) and male breeding colours to L. longipinnis but L. "deep-water albus" has a shorter snout and thinner lips. For many years, this species was misidentified by the Monkey Bay Fisheries Unit as Lethrinops albus, but the true L. albus Regan is a more slender fish of shallow waters. Ripe males (see photo above) are strongly barred and have a dark greenish iridescence on the head. The maximum size is at least 15 cm (6 inches) TL (total length). It is common at depths of 80 to at least 128m (260-420 feet). The photo below shows a female.

A female Lethrinops "deep-water albus" (photo © by G.F. Turner)

	Suggested citation of this page: Turner, G.F. (2004) Lethrinops "deep-water albus". http://malawicichlids.com/mw08127.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