Benitochromis is a small genus of cichlid fishes that are endemic to riverine and lake habitats in Middle Africa (Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, including the island of Bioko). Several of these species were originally assigned to the genus Chromidotilapia.[2] The name of this genus is derived from the type locality of the Benito River in Equatorial Guinea compounded with chromis, a word which originated with Aristotle and which may derive from the Greek word chroemo, meaning "to neigh" and which may have originally referred to the drums of the family Sciaenidae and which was expanded to include cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks, and wrasses, groups of perch-like fish which were thought to be more closely related to each other than they are subsequent studies have apparently found them to be.[3]
| Benitochromis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Benitochromis ufermanni, female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Tribe: | Chromidotilapiini |
| Genus: | Benitochromis Lamboj, 2001 |
| Type species | |
| Chromidotilapia finleyi Trewavas, 1974[1]
| |
Reproduction
editBenitochromis nigrodorsalis ordinarily undergoes biparental reproduction, but is also capable of facultative (optional) self-fertilization (selfing).[4] Facultative selfing likely occurs when a mating partner is unavailable.[4]
Species
editThere are currently six recognized species in this genus:[5]
- Benitochromis batesii (Boulenger, 1901)
- Benitochromis conjunctus Lamboj, 2001
- Benitochromis finleyi (Trewavas, 1974)
- Benitochromis nigrodorsalis Lamboj, 2001
- Benitochromis riomuniensis (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1981)
- Benitochromis ufermanni Lamboj, 2001
References
edit- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Benitochromis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "Benitochromis conjunctus gen. & sp.nov". Pesces Criollos.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 July 2018). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (a-g)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ a b Böhne A, Oğuzhan Z, Chrysostomakis I, Vitt S, Meuthen D, Martin S, Kukowka S, Thünken T. Evidence for selfing in a vertebrate from whole-genome sequencing. Genome Res. 2023 Dec 27;33(12):2133-2142. doi: 10.1101/gr.277368.122. PMID 38190641; PMCID: PMC10760518
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Benitochromis". FishBase. February 2013 version.
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