Maylandia thapsinogen

Maylandia thapsinogen, drawing of holotype from Stauffer et al. (1987);
used by permission

The holotype of Maylandia thapsinogen, an adult male (PSU 3074, Penn State University) measuring 86.4 mm SL, from Eccles Reef, the only known locality of this species. Eccles Reef, named for David Eccles, is near the Malawian east shore of the southeast arm, due north of Chinyankwazi Island.

This species, another entity closely similar to M. zebra, has not had its own trade name. According to Stauffer et al. (1997: 214), "The blue ground coloration with distinct vertical bars in conjunction with the orange dorsal fin and yellow chin delimits M. thapsinogen from all other species in Metriaclima [=Maylandia]." (There are, however, three other, very similar forms with "red tops" (orange to red dorsal fins) that Stauffer et al. (1997) recognized as distinct species: M. emmiltos, M. pyrsonotos, and M. sandaracinos.)

Breeding males of M. thapsinogen are reported to "...have a blue ground color with 6 black vertical bars; head dark blue with 2 light blue interorbital bars [stripes], opercle with green highlights, and yellow gular. Dorsal fin orange with blue lappets; caudal fin gray..." (p. 214). Illustration reproduced from fig. 34 (a photograph retouched by M. Katz) of Stauffer et al. (1997); used with the kind permission of Dr. Jay Stauffer.

The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa: MalawiCichlids.com