Astatotilapia_calliptera
Astatotilapia calliptera
Species of fish
Astatotilapia calliptera, the eastern happy or eastern river bream, is a species of haplochromine cichlid from southeastern Africa.
| Astatotilapia calliptera | |
|---|---|
| Male above, females below, all of Lake Chilingali origin | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Astatotilapia |
| Species: | A. calliptera |
| Binomial name | |
| Astatotilapia calliptera | |
| Synonyms | |
![](./File:Astatotilapia_sp._"Chilingali".jpg){kind=link}
The male Astatotilapia calliptera has blue lips and a dark line through its eye. It can show a reddish forehead but the body is normally yellow, although some wild populations are blue.[3] The females are smaller than the males and are brownish silvery in colour.[4] The maximum total length is 15 cm (5.9 in).[5]
Astatotilapia calliptera occurs in Lake Malawi and its drainage, the Shire River, and Lakes Chiuta and Chilwa. It has also been recorded from the lower Zambezi River,[5] and in coastal rivers on the coastal plain of Mozambique, from the Rovuma River and south as far as the Save River,[1] This species is established as a non-native, introduced species in Broward County and Palm Beach County in Florida, United States.[6]
Astatotilapia calliptera prefers shallow water with a sand substrate with aquatic vegetation such as species of Vallisneria,[3] where it can be abundant. It is most common in the lower reaches of rivers and weedy flood lagoons.[1] It is an omnivore and much of its diet consists of detritus and phytoplankton;[3] they will also eat invertebrates, algae and smaller fishes.[5]
They are mouthbrooders in which the female lays her eggs on a hard substrate and then they are inseminated by the male before the female takes them into her mouth where they stay for 12-14 days before hatching. The young are then guarded by their mother for a further 5-6 days, using her mouth as a refuge when they perceive danger.[5]
Astatotilapia calliptera was one of the first cichlid species found in the aquarium trade.[4][7] A number of colour varieties are available.[4]
- Tweddle, D.; Bills, R.; Kazembe, J.; Marshall, B. (2018). "Astatotilapia calliptera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T181801A99449839. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T181801A99449839.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Astatotilapia calliptera". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- "Astatotilapia calliptera". African-cichlid.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- "Astatotilapia calliptera". Greater Chicago Cichlid Association. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Astatotilapia calliptera" in FishBase. June 2018 version.
- Jason Seltz (28 April 2017). "Florida's Introduced Nonindigenous and Invasive Fishes: Part 1 of a 3-part Series on Biological Invasions in Florida". Anamar Environmental Consulting Inc. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- Greg Steeves (24 December 2009). "Astatotilapia calliptera". The Cichlid Forum. Retrieved 28 November 2018.