Metriaclima Ciccotto, Konings & Stauffer, 2011, new species
Creators: name: Ciccotto, Patrick J.
name: Konings, Adrianus
name: Stauffer, Jay R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Perciformes
Cichlidae
Metriaclima

description: Metriaclima sciasma, new species
Fig. 7A –C; Table 5
Pseudotropheus sp. "kingsizei north": Konings 2001: 159.
Metriaclima sp. " aurora north": Konings 2007: 177.
Holotype. PSU 4490, 63.8 mm SL; Tanzania: Lake Malaŵi: Magunga, 10° 19.344' S, 34° 34.849' E; T.D. Kocher, A.F. Konings, & J.R. Stauffer, 11 Feb 2005.
Paratypes. PSU 4491, 17; UMBC 16, 1; AMNH 246002, 2; 48.4–71.2 mm SL; data as for holotype. — PSU 4492, 20; 46.9–66.9 mm SL; Tanzania: Lake Malaŵi: Ngwazi, 10° 10.490' S, 34° 32.927' E; T.D. Kocher, A.F. Konings, & J.R. Stauffer, 10 Feb 2005. — PSU 4493, 20; 53.6–68.5 mm SL; Tanzania: Lake Malaŵi: Makonde, 9° 56.862' S, 34° 27.296' E; T.D. Kocher, A.F. Konings, & J.R. Stauffer, 8 Feb 2005.
Diagnosis. A moderately-sloped head and bicuspid teeth in the outer row of the jaws place this species in Metriaclima. A black pelvic fin, a dark-blue cheek and preorbital area, and a blue dorsal fin without a black submarginal band in breeding males and the light-brown colored females that have yellow fin-margins distinguish M. sciasma from all other members of Metriaclima. Breeding males of M. sciasma are distinguished from those of some populations of M. zebra by the presence of a single interorbital bar (2 in M. zebra) and by black pigment on the anterior membranes of the anal fin. Female M. sciasma cannot reliably be distinguished from those of most other members of the Aurora group, but differ from those of M. aurora by more vertical bars below the dorsal fin (7–10 vs. 6).
Description. Morphometric and meristic data in Table 5. Dorsal snout profile slightly concave to straight; mouth cleft with slightly downward angle; jaws isognathous. Teeth on dentary in two to three rows, on premaxilla in two to four rows; outer row teeth typically bicuspid anteriorly and unicuspid posteriorly, inner rows tricuspid, innermost row unicuspid; lower pharyngeal jaw with numerous slender teeth with teeth in posterior row slightly larger. Portion of upper dental arcade normally visible in closed mouth. Tips of teeth in premaxilla and dentary in V-shaped line with anteriormost in upper and lower jaw furthest apart and separate in closed mouth. Lateral scales ctenoid.
Lateral body coloration of breeding males blue dorsally with 7–10 gray bars, white ventrally, and blue/gray caudal peduncle. Preorbital, cheek, and operculum dark blue/gray; blue opercular spot; gray/blue gular region; premaxillary and maxillary blue/gray; blue/gray interorbital bar. Dorsal fin blue with light-blue lappets. Caudal fin with gray rays and blue membranes. Anal fin blue/gray with 2–7 yellow ocelli. Pelvic fin black with white leading edge. Pectoral fin clear.
all Magunga Makonde Ngwazi Females brown dorsally and gray/white ventrally. Head brown with blue highlights on operculum and grey/ green opercular spot; white gular region. Dorsal and anal fins yellow/brown. Proximal third of caudal fin dark brown, distal third light brown/yellow, membranes with faint blue spots. Pelvic fin with white leading edge, first 2 rays and membranes yellow/brown with remaining clear. Pectoral fin clear.
Distribution. Metriaclima sciasma has an extensive distribution north of the Ruhuhu River in the northeastern part of Lake Malaŵi (Fig. 1). The river and the sandy shores south of Mbamba Bay form a geographic barrier between M. sciasma and the other members of the Aurora group.
Etymology. The specific epithet, sciasma, is Greek for shadow, in reference to the black pelvic fins of males. It is treated as a noun in apposition.
description: Published as part of Ciccotto, Patrick J., Konings, Adrianus & Stauffer, Jay R., 2011, Descriptions of five new species in the genus Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi, Africa, pp. 1-25 in Zootaxa 2738 on pages 14-17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.204914