Tropheus Evolution In Tanganyika Lake
نویسنده
چکیده
African lakes have produced striking variation in cichlid fish fauna. Lake Tanganyika, whose age is estimated at 9 to 12,000,000 years, is the oldest East African lake and hides morphologically, genetically and behaviorally diverse group cichlid fish. Many of the more than 200 described species is divided into geographically and genetically distinct populations that differ primarily in their coloring. The best example of this phenomenon is endemic genus Tropheus in which it has been described six species and more than 70 different colored local variants. Besides Tropheus duboisi, the overall morphology of this genus is very similar. Tropheus are abundant at the upper coastal zone in all types of rocky habitats where they feed on algae and hide from predators. They strictly avoid sandy and muddy coasts and estuaries. There is evidence that Tropheus are unable to move at long distances, especially over open water, as a result of their strong environmental specificity and fidelity to a particular place and territoriality.
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