Julidochromis
| Julidochromis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Julidochromis regani | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Tribe: | Lamprologini |
| Genus: |
Julidochromis Boulenger, 1898 |
| Type species | |
|
Julidochromis ornatus Boulenger, 1898 |
|
Julidochromis is a genus of cichlids in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. They are commonly called julies and are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. This genus includes six formally described species, some with a number local variants of uncertain taxonomic status. Further taxonomic work is required to determine how many species exist; the closely related Chalinochromis with two more species is sometimes included here and this may be correct. Hybridization makes attempts to determine relationships with molecular phylogenetic methods difficult.
These ray-finned fish are smallish to mid-sized (about 7–15 centimetres or 2.8–5.9 inches) and have a yellowish background colour with black lengthwise stripes or a checkerboard pattern.
There are currently 6 formally described species in this genus:
Julidochromis regani female and young
The relationships and systematics of Julidochromis are hard to resolve with certainty. Chalinochromis is essentially similar to these fishes except for some adaptations for feeding on sponges. In their mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence, Chalinochromis are closer to J. dickfeldi, the Golden Julie (J. ornatus) and the Masked Julie (J. transcriptus) – in particular the latter two – than to any other living fish, while J. marlieri and the Convict Julie (J. regani) are closer to . Julidochromis thus might need to be split in two, with Chalinochromis included in one lineage. Alternatively, there has twice been successful intergeneric hybridization between particular lineages of Julidochromis males and Chalinochromis females (males generally do not pass on mtDNA to their offspring), the julies being closer to Telmatochromis in this case. Yet another possibility is that Julidochromis is monophyletic and includes Chalinochromis; in this scenario males of the common ancestor of J. marlieri and J. regani would have hybridized with females of the common ancestor of Telmatochromis.
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Wikipedia