Giant cichlid
| Giant cichlid | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Tribe: | Boulengerochromini |
| Genus: |
Boulengerochromis Pellegrin, 1904 |
| Species: | B. microlepis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Boulengerochromis microlepis (Boulenger, 1899) |
|
The giant cichlid (Boulengerochromis microlepis), also known as the emperor cichlid, is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family, endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. It is the only member of its genus Boulengerochromis and tribe Boulengerochromini.
The species was originally described as Tilapia microlepis by George Albert Boulenger in 1899. Realizing that it was not a tilapia, the genus Boulengerochromis was coined in 1904 by Jacques Pellegrin, honouring G.A. Boulenger.
This is possibly the largest cichlid, growing to a length of 90 cm (3.0 ft) in males and 75 cm (2.5 ft) in females. This fish is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it occurs in the countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is common and found in coastal areas to depths of 100 m (330 ft). Adults are mainly piscivorous and juveniles are omnivores.
...
Wikipedia