Alcolapia alcalica | |
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Territorial male | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Genus: | Alcolapia |
Species: | A. alcalica
|
Binomial name | |
Alcolapia alcalica (
Hilgendorf, 1905)
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Synonyms | |
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Alcolapia alcalica, the common natron tilapia [2] or soda cichlid, [3] is an endangered species of fish in the family Cichlidae. [1] It is endemic to the hypersaline, warm Lake Natron in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region, its drainage and the Shombole Swamps in Kenya and Tanzania. [1] This species typically has an essentially terminal (straight) mouth, but a morph with an upturned mouth is found locally in eastern Lake Natron, where it co-occurs with the normal morph. A. latilabris and A. ndalalani, the two other species in Lake Natron, both have a clearly downturned mouth. [4] Territorial males of A. alcalica have extensive blue-white spotting, and their underparts and throat can be yellow or white. Females and non-territorial males are overall sandy in colour. [5] A. alcalica reaches up to 11.6 cm (4.6 in) in total length. [2]
Alcolapia alcalica | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Territorial male | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Genus: | Alcolapia |
Species: | A. alcalica
|
Binomial name | |
Alcolapia alcalica (
Hilgendorf, 1905)
| |
Synonyms | |
|
Alcolapia alcalica, the common natron tilapia [2] or soda cichlid, [3] is an endangered species of fish in the family Cichlidae. [1] It is endemic to the hypersaline, warm Lake Natron in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region, its drainage and the Shombole Swamps in Kenya and Tanzania. [1] This species typically has an essentially terminal (straight) mouth, but a morph with an upturned mouth is found locally in eastern Lake Natron, where it co-occurs with the normal morph. A. latilabris and A. ndalalani, the two other species in Lake Natron, both have a clearly downturned mouth. [4] Territorial males of A. alcalica have extensive blue-white spotting, and their underparts and throat can be yellow or white. Females and non-territorial males are overall sandy in colour. [5] A. alcalica reaches up to 11.6 cm (4.6 in) in total length. [2]