Trematocranus placodon
| Trematocranus placodon | |
|---|---|
| File:Trematocranus placodon.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Trematocranus |
| Species: | T. placodon
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| Binomial name | |
| Trematocranus placodon (Regan, 1922)
| |
| Synonyms | |
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Trematocranus placodon is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the upper reaches of the Shire River in Africa. It is mainly a shallow-water species that prefers to occupy areas with patches of Vallisneria, but it can occur as deep as 31 m (102 ft).[1][2] It can reach a total length of up to 25 cm (9.8 in).[2]
It feeds mainly on aquatic snails and has a preference for Bulinus nyassanus, making this cichlid beneficial to humans as that snail is an intermediate host of the parasite bilharzia (schistosomiasis).[1][3] It has been suggested that an increase in bilharzia in Lake Malawi has been caused by overfishing of this and other snail-eating cichlids.[4][5] It is mainly caught as a food fish, but also for the aquarium trade.[1][2][5] Although it has seriously declined in some regions, overall it remains widespread and it is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN.[1]
References
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- ^ a b Stauffer, J.R.; and H. Madsen (2012). Schistosomiasis in Lake Malawi and the Potential Use of Indigenous Fish for Biological Control. Pp. 119—140 in: Rokni, M.B., editor. Schistosomiasis. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
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