| Lethrinops | |
|---|---|
| |
| Lethrinops lethrinus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Tribe: | Haplochromini |
| Genus: | Lethrinops Regan, 1922 |
| Type species | |
| Chromis lethrinus Günther, 1894
| |
Lethrinops is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, they are known as the sandeaters or sandsifters. Cichlid fishes of the Lethrinops genus have been studied in biology and ichthyology, primarily due to their radiated speciation and rapid evolution in their native habitat of Malawi. In biology, the speciation seen in these fish is known as explosive speciation.1 Numerous environmental pressures, such as overfishing, invasive species, and pollution threaten species of the Lethrinops genus. Malawi has established a national park to protect the cichlid species within the lakes.2
Species
There are currently 25 recognized species in this genus:3
- Lethrinops albus Regan, 1922
- Lethrinops altus Trewavas, 1931
- Lethrinops argenteus C. G. E. Ahl, 1926
- Lethrinops atrilabris G. F. Turner. 20224
- Lethrinops auritus (Regan, 1922) (golden sand-eater)
- Lethrinops chilingali Turner, Crampton & Genner, 2023
- Lethrinops christyi Trewavas, 1931
- Lethrinops furcifer Trewavas, 1931 (greenface sandsifter)
- Lethrinops gossei W. E. Burgess & H. R. Axelrod, 1973
- Lethrinops leptodon Regan, 1922
- Lethrinops lethrinus (Günther, 1894)
- Lethrinops longimanus Trewavas, 1931
- Lethrinops longipinnis Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1978
- Lethrinops lunaris Trewavas, 1931
- Lethrinops macracanthus Trewavas, 1931
- Lethrinops macrochir (Regan, 1922)
- Lethrinops macrophthalmus (Boulenger, 1908)
- Lethrinops marginatus C. G. E. Ahl, 1926 (Lethrinops rounded head)
- Lethrinops micrentodon (Regan, 1922)
- Lethrinops microdon Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1977
- Lethrinops microstoma Trewavas, 1931 (littletooth sandeater)
- Lethrinops mylodon Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1979
- Lethrinops parvidens Trewavas, 1931 (Lethrinops red flush)
- Lethrinops stridei Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1977
- Lethrinops turneri Ngatunga & Snoeks, 2003
- Synonyms
- Lethrinops oculatus Trewavas, 1931; valid as L. marginatus
References
References
- MJ van Staaden; Robert Huber; Lesley S. Kaufman; Karel F. Liem (1994). "Brain evolution in cichlids of the African Great Lakes Brain and body size general patterns and evolutionary trends". Zoology. 98 (1994/95): 165. eISSN 1873-2720. ISSN 0944-2006.
- Tweddle, D. (1992). "Conservation and threats to the resources of Lake Malawi". Sil Communications, 1953-1996. 23 (1): 17–24. Bibcode:1992SILC...23...17T. doi:10.1080/05384680.1992.11904004.
- Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Lethrinops". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- George F. Turner (2022). "A New Species of Deep-water Lethrinops (Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi". Journal of Fish Biology. 101 (6): 1405–1410. Bibcode:2022JFBio.101.1405T. doi:10.1111/jfb.15208. PMC 10086864. PMID 36059123.
External links
External links
- Eccles, David H. and Lewis, Digby S.C. 1977. A taxonomic study of the Genus Lethrinops Regan (Pisces: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi: part 1. Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 36. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
- Eccles, David H. and Lewis, Digby S.C. 1978. A taxonomic study of the Genus Lethrinops Regan (Pisces: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi: part 2. Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 37. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
- Eccles, David H. and Lewis, Digby S.C. 1979. A taxonomic study of the Genus Lethrinops Regan (Pisces: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi: part 3. Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 38. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.