Tyrants from Lake Malawi - by Ad Konings [article/pdf file]

[emartin]

There's still some people having trouble understanding the taxonomy of the genus Tyrannochromis. Dr. Ad Konings published an article in the April 2009 issue of Cichlid News (still available for purchase here: http://cichlidnews.com/issues/apr09.html) explaining how to identify the two species, how most fish commonly sold as "Tyrannochromis macrostoma" are really just a variant of Tyrannochromis nigriventer, and how T. maculiceps and T. polyodon are actually synonyms for the REAL Tyrannochromis macrostoma.

The way I see it, there are three varieties of Tyrannochromis nigriventer. The variety that has the strong vertical barring (as pictured in the article), the "orange spot" variety coming out of Tanzanian waters, and the so-called T. nigriventer Southern variety that has been confused for decades with T. macrostoma.



Here's Ad Konings' take on the taxonomy. I scanned the following article from the April 2009 issue with permission from Cichlid News Magazine (Thanks, Laif!):
Tyrants from Lake Malawi.pdf

 

[Cartel]

Hrm I'll have to look into ID'ing mine since he is suppose to be a Macrostoma but I'm not expert. All I know is he is a punk and hates my aristochromis so he is in time out right now and maybe getting sold soon if he doesn't straighten up!

 

[emartin]

Hrm I'll have to look into ID'ing mine since he is suppose to be a Macrostoma but I'm not expert. All I know is he is a punk and hates my aristochromis so he is in time out right now and maybe getting sold soon if he doesn't straighten up!

Can you post pics of yours?

And don't sell the tyrannochromis...just get rid of the aristochromis ...

 

[Cartel]

I'll try to snatch some pics in a couple of days since I'm out of town right now it is no where near as dark looking as the ones in the last 2 pics his face has some purple blueish color in it he also isn't very big yet so has much more coloring to do. I hear ya on the aristo but I like them too but my tyranno ONLY picks on the aristo it's frustrating. Next time I see a bag of Aristo's I'm picking it up and growing more out maybe a diff aristo will have better luck.

 

[Cartel]

I moved him to a different detaining facility today. He's up for the same charges. Assault. So I snapped a quick shot. His rap sheet is getting long so he has got to go soon.

 

[Tony]

Wil, If that's one of mine, then it's a T. nigriventer south. Ed ID'ed them for me a few months back. Yours is lookin' hawt!