COMMENTS
v. 10.0 – 13 March 2024 view/download PDF
Family CICHLIDAE Cichlids (part 3 of 7)
Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE African Cichlids (Haplochromis through Konia)
Haplochromis Hilgendorf 1888 haplo-, simple, proposed as a subgenus of Chromis with unnotched teeth (i.e., flattened and obliquely truncated teeth of H. obliquidens); Chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), then beginning to be used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Haplochromis acidens Greenwood 1967 acies, sharp edge or point; dens, teeth, referring to its sharp, needle-like teeth
Haplochromis adolphifrederici (Boulenger 1914) in honor explorer Adolf Friederich (1873-1969), Duke of Mecklenburg, leader of the Deutsche Zentral-Afrika Expedition (1907-1908), during which type was collected
Haplochromis aelocephalus Greenwood 1959 aiolos, shifting, changing, variable; cephalus, head, referring to wide range of variation in head shape
Haplochromis aeneocolor Greenwood 1973 aeneus, brazen, referring to “brassy appearance” or coloration of adult males, a possible double entendre (per Erwin Schraml) referring to both “dull bronze” color exhibited by some specimens and to what Greenwood described as the “brassyness” of newly caught males (in this case, brassy meaning “tastelessly showy or loud in appearance”), which exhibit a gaudy array of colors, including yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, crimson, and puce [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis akika Lippitsch 2003 named for Akika Island, Lake George, Uganda, type locality [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis albertianus Regan 1929 –ianus, belonging to: Lake Albert, east-central Africa, where it is endemic
Haplochromis altigenis Regan 1922 alti-, high; genys, cheek, presumably referring to depth of preorbital “considerably greater” than diameter of eye (in one specimen, 220 mm TL) [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis ampullarostratus Schraml 2004 ampulla, small bottle; rostratus, beaked, referring to its bottleneck-like snout
Haplochromis angustifrons Boulenger 1914 angustus, narrow; frons, forehead, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to interorbital width smaller or equal to diameter of eye
Haplochromis annectidens Trewavas 1933 annectens, linking; dens, teeth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how this species, based on its dentition, “represents the stock from which H. obliquidens and H. plagiodon of Lake Victoria appear to have diverged in separate directions,” thus linking the three species together
Haplochromis antleter Mietes & Witte 2010 Greek for scooper or dredger, referring to how it feeds mainly on detritus from muddy substrate
Haplochromis apogonoides Greenwood 1967 –oides, having the form of: referring to “fancied resemblance” with cardinalfishes of the genus Apogon [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis aquila Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Latin for eagle, referring to its “predatory morphology and large eyes”
Haplochromis arcanus Greenwood & Gee 1969 Latin for secret, referring to the authors’ uncertainty about its relationships within the Lake Victoria Haplochromis species flock [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis argens de Zeeuw, Westbroek & Witte 2013 cheironym for this cichlid, given under the false assumption it is latinized Greek for silver, referring to silver male coloration [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis argenteus Regan 1922 silvery (but with a darker back), referring to its coloration
Haplochromis artaxerxes Greenwood 1962 Artaxerxes, King of Persia, also known as Longimanus (longus, long; manus, hand), alluding to its extremely long pectoral fins [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis astatodon Regan 1921 astatos, variable; odon, tooth, referring to “bicuspid teeth very variable in form, the cusps nearly equal in some specimens, in others the posterior cusp reduced and the anterior cusp long, oblique, and curved inwards”
Haplochromis aureus Vranken, van Steenberge, Mbalassa & Snoeks 2023 Latin for golden, referring to yellow chest, cheeks, and snout in dominant males and yellow pelvic fins in females
Haplochromis avium Regan 1929 of birds, referring to all specimens having been collected from the stomach of cormorants [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis bakongo Thys van den Audenaerde 1964 alternate name of Kongo, referring to distribution in the lower Congo River system [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis barbarae Greenwood 1967 in honor of Barbara Williams, whose drawings illustrate fishes in many of Greenwood’s papers, including this one [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia; possibly extinct]
Haplochromis bareli van Oijen 1991 in honor of C.D.N. Barel (b. 1942), Leiden University, initiator of the Haplochromis Ecology Project, who helped collect type and whose research has “contributed much” to our knowledge of the Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlids; in addition, his “stimulating enthusiasm and interest in all aspects of biology engaged many biology students in cichlid research” [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis bartoni Greenwood 1962 named for its resemblance to H. worthingtoni, named in honor of E. Barton Worthington (1905-2001), pioneer explorer of African lakes and their fisheries [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis bayoni (Boulenger 1909) in honor of Enrico Pietro (later Henry Peter) Bayon (1876-1952), a physician who studied sleeping sickness in West Africa and collected specimens for the Natural History Museum in Genoa, including type of this cichlid [sometimes placed in Hemitilapia]
Haplochromis beadlei Trewavas 1933 in honor of Leonard C. Beadle (1905-1985), chemist and zoologist on the 1930-1931 Cambridge Expedition to the East African Lakes, during which type was collected [sometimes placed in Paralabidochromis]
Haplochromis bicolor Boulenger 1906 bi-, two, presumably referring to two colors on body, described as “Bright yellow, irregularly blotched or marbled with black, the black sometimes forming irregular crossbands on the body” [placed in Macropleurodus by some workers, treated here a synonym of Haplochomis]
Haplochromis boops Greenwood 1967 bo, ox; ops, eye, presumably referring to its eye diameter, 23.9-25.7% of head (but smaller than H. thuragnathus, its presumed closest congener) [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis; possibly extinct]
Haplochromis brauschi Poll & Thys van den Audenaerde 1965 in honor of Georges Brausch, Belgian administrator in the Congo, who collected type [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis brownae Greenwood 1962 matronym not identified but according to Erwin Schraml (pers. comm. with Rosemary Lowe-McConnell), in honor of fish ecophysiologist Margaret “Peggy” Brown (later Varley, 1918-2009), a visiting scientist with the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization (Jinja, Uganda, on the shore of Lake Victoria) in 1950 or 1951, where Greenwood worked from 1950 to 1957 [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis bullatus Trewavas 1938 bubbled, referring to enlarged mucous channels on head [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis bwathondii Niemantsverdriet & Witte 2010 in honor of Philip O.J. Bwathondi, Director General of the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (1983-2006), who supported the research of the Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team (HEST) in many ways
Haplochromis callichromus Poll 1948 kallos, beautiful; chroma, color, probably the most colorful cichlid in the Fwa River, Democratic Republic of Congo [placed in Thoracochromis by some workers]
Haplochromis cassius Greenwood & Barel 1978 derived from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II), “Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look,” probably referring to its “‘predatory’ facies” [sometimes placed in Psammochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis cavifrons (Hilgendorf 1888) cavus, concave; frons, front or forehead, referring to concave profile of head above eye
Haplochromis chilotes (Boulenger 1911) one with lips, referring to its “very thick” lips, “both produced into a globular swelling projecting beyond the mouth [sometimes placed in Paralabidochromis]
Haplochromis chlorochrous Greenwood & Gee 1969 chloro-, green; chroa, color of body or skin, referring to distinctive green color of adult males
Haplochromis chromogynos Greenwood 1959 chroma, color; gynos, female, referring to most (if not all) females having a piebald (black and yellow) coloration [sometimes placed in Paralabidochromis]
Haplochromis chrysogynaion van Oijen 1991 chrysos, golden; gynaoin, diminutive of gynaikos, female, referring to golden color of females in life
Haplochromis cinctus Greenwood & Gee 1969 girded or girdled, referring to 3-5 dark vertical bars on sides of males
Haplochromis cinereus (Boulenger 1906) ash-colored, presumably referring to gray color above and below (darker on back) with dark gray fins
Haplochromis cnester Witte & Witte-Maas 1981 knester, Greek for scraper, referring to scraper-like outer teeth in its jaws, which it apparently uses to feed on parasites (carplice and leeches) from other fishes [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis commutabilis Schraml 2004 mutable or changeable, referring to how scales and teeth of males change during growth
Haplochromis concilians Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2020 joined or knitted together, referring to part of skin covering snout that is fused with upper lip
Haplochromis coprologus Niemantsverdriet & Witte 2010 Greek for dustman, referring to its detritivorous feeding habits, collecting detritus from muddy bottoms
Haplochromis crassilabris Boulenger 1906 crassus, wide; labrum, lip, referring to its “very thick” lips, thicker than the related H. retrodens
Haplochromis crebridens Snoeks, de Vos, Coenen & Thys van den Audenaerde 1990 creber, numerous; dens, teeth, referring to large number of teeth on oral jaws
Haplochromis crocopeplus Greenwood & Barel 1978 crocatus, saffron-like; peplus, robe, i.e., dressed in saffron, referring to “basically ochrous-yellow” coloration in life [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis cronus Greenwood 1959 etymology not explained, possibly named for Cronus (or Kronos), the leader of the Titans in Greek mythology, who devoured his sons as soon as they were born to prevent the prophecy that they would overthrow their father just as Cronus had overthrown his, alluding to how this cichlid feeds almost exclusively on the embryos and larvae of cichlids, especially Haplochromis
Haplochromis cryptodon Greenwood 1959 cryptos, hidden; odon, tooth, referring to inner and outer series of teeth, “deeply embedded in the oral epithelium, so that only the tips of the outer teeth are visible” [sometimes placed in Lipochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis cryptogramma Greenwood & Gee 1969 crypto-, secret; gramma, line, referring to “fancied resemblance” of midlateral longitudinal stripes to symbols in the Morse code [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis curvidens Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 curvus, curve; dens, tooth, referring to its strongly recurved oral teeth
Haplochromis cyaneus Seehausen, Bouton & Zwennes 1998 blue, referring to bright-blue nuptial coloration of males [provisionally placed in “Haplochromis” (with quotes) until its relationships are resolved; objectively invalid, a junior primary homonym by Haplochromis (now Copadichromis) cyaneus Trewavas 1935]
Haplochromis decticostoma Greenwood & Gee 1969 dektikos, able to bide; stoma, mouth, referring to its large mouth
Haplochromis degeni (Boulenger 1906) in honor of Swiss ornithologist Edward Degen (1852-1922), who has rendered “signal service to African ichthyology” as a collector of fishes, including type of this one [extinct in wild; placed in Platytaeniodus by some workers, treated here a synonym of Haplochomis]
Haplochromis demeusii (Boulenger 1899) in honor of “J. De Meuse,” who collected type, perhaps a lapsus for Fernand Demeuse (1863-1915), Belgian scientist and photographer who explored the upper Congo [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis dentex Regan 1922 with large teeth, referring to “strong” outer teeth, some of which are exposed on strongly projecting lower jaw [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis dichrourus Regan 1922 di-, two; chroma, color; oura, tail, referring to caudal fin, brown above and bright red below [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis diplotaenia Regan & Trewavas 1928 diplo, twofold; taenia, band, referring to two blackish bands on sides, one along lateral line and the second above it [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis dolichorhynchus Greenwood & Gee 1969 dolichos, elongated; rhynchus, snout, referring to its “rather protracted” snout relative to snout of its presumed closest congeners [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis dolorosus Trewavas 1933 sad, allusion not explained, possibly referring to vertical stripe (i.e., tear-like) below eye [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis eduardii Regan 1921 of Lake Edward, Uganda, where it is endemic
Haplochromis elegans Trewavas 1933 fine, select or elegant, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to coloration of breeding males: “darker [than females], with two dark bars across the snout, one below the eye and one on the praeoperculum, with throat and belly dusky; anal dusky, with two or three ocelli [eggspots]; dorsal with dark edge, or spotted; caudal spotted; pelvics dark” [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis empodisma Greenwood 1960 an obstacle, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how its previous misidentification as H. michaeli hindered knowledge of its true identity [sometimes placed in Gaurochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis engystoma Trewavas 1933 engys, near; stoma, mouth, allusion not explained, probably referring to decurved snout, which is therefore closer to or “near” mouth [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis erutus Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2020 torn out, referring to its oral-shelling ecology, in which soft bodies of snails are wrenched or torn out of their shells
Haplochromis erythrocephalus Greenwood & Gee 1969 erythros, red; cephalus, head, referring to bright-red color of head in adult males [sometimes placed in Enterochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis erythromaculatus De Vos, Snoeks & Thys van den Audenaerde 1990 erythros, red; maculatus, spotted, referring to small deep-red spots and streaks on dorsal and caudal fins of territorial males
Haplochromis estor Regan 1929 eater, presumably referring to its large oblique mouth, with strongly projecting lower jaw and maxillary extending just beyond anterior edge of eye [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis eutaenia Regan & Trewavas 1928 eu-, well or very; taenia, band, referring to a dark lateral band, interrupted in the middle, extending from opercular spot to end of caudal fin
Haplochromis exspectatus Schraml 2004 expected, referring to the fact that Schraml expected to find different haplochromine species in the Koki Lakes of Uganda (which had been largely unexplored for fishes), including piscivorous species such as this one
Haplochromis falcatus Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Latin for sickle-shaped, referring to its acutely pointed sickle-like outer oral teeth
Haplochromis fasciatus (Perugia 1892) banded, referring to 8-9 vertical bands in life (barely visible in alcohol) [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis fischeri Seegers 2008 in honor of German physician-naturalist Gustav Adolf Fischer (1848-1886), one of the first Europeans with a deep interest in natural sciences (including anthropology) to explore East Africa, where he assembled vast collections of plants, animals (including many fishes) and other natural objects, and undertook fundamental studies needed to produce accurate maps of the area; he collected the nominal type for this species (mistaken for H. sauvagei) in 1885 or 1886 and died of a bilious fever contracted during his final journey to Lake Victoria [sometimes placed in Ptyochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis flavipinnis (Boulenger 1906) flavus, yellow; pinnis, fin, referring to its “bright yellow” fins [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis flavus Seehausen, Zwennes & Lippitsch 1998 yellow, referring to bright-yellow coloration of nuptial males in type population
Haplochromis fuscus Regan 1925 dark or dusky, referring to its grayish or blackish color [sometimes placed in Neochromis]
Haplochromis gilberti Greenwood & Gee 1969 in honor of Michael Gilbert, Experimental Fisheries Officer, East African Frreshwater Fisheries Research Organization, whose “enthusiasm and skill have added considerably to our knowledge” of Lake Victoria fishes, especially Haplochromis species from its deeper waters [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis glaucus Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Latin for grayish blue, referring to gray and light-blue color pattern of all adult specimens
Haplochromis goldschmidti Witte, Westbroek & de Zeeuw 2013 in honor of Tijs Goldschmidt (b. 1953), for his work on haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria, and for calling the world’s attention to their human-induced extinction; this cichlid is one of the species on which he based his theory of the possible role of egg-dummy divergence in speciation of haplochromines [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis gowersii Trewavas 1928 in honor of William Gowers (1875-1954), Governor of Uganda, who helped fisheries scientist Michael Graham (see H. michaeli) conduct his research on Lake Victoria, where this cichlid is endemic [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis gracilifur Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2019 gracilis, slender; fur, thief, referring to its slender body and paedophagous diet (it steals fry from buccal cavities of mouthbrooding cichlids) [name published online in 2018 but not available until 2019]
Haplochromis gracilior Boulenger 1914 comparative of gracilis, slender, proposed as a slender-bodied morph of H. angustifrons
Haplochromis granti Boulenger 1906 in honor of Scottish naturalist and explorer James Augustus Grant (1827-1892) who, with John Henning Speke (see H. spekii), discovered that Lake Victoria (where this cichlid is endemic) is a major source of the Nile
Haplochromis graueri Boulenger 1914 patronym not identified, probably in honor of Austrian explorer and zoologist Rudolf Grauer (1870-1927), who collected fishes and other animals in Africa from 1905-1911
Haplochromis guiarti (Pellegrin 1904) according to Pellegrin (1905), in honor of parasitologist Jules Guiart (1870-1965), friend and “distinguished and devoted” (translation) Secretary General of the Zoological Society of France [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis harpakteridion van Oijen 1991 diminutive of the Greek harpakter, robber, referring to the predatory (piscivorous) habits of this small species
Haplochromis heusinkveldi Witte & Witte-Maas 1987 in honor of W. A. Heusinkveld, lecturer of physics at Leiden University; “In some way, this long, slender fish with its grey suit [body] made us think of him, when we first caught it” [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis hiatus Hoogerhoud & Witte 1981 opening, aperture or gap, referring to how this species seems to “bridge the taxonomic gap” between H. empodisma and H. obtusidens with respect to the shape of its pharyngeal jaws [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis howesi van Oijen 1992 in honor of Gordon J. Howes (1938-2013), Natural History Museum (London), for “many excellent” contributions to fish taxonomy
Haplochromis humilior (Boulenger 1911) lower or humbler, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to elongate shape compared to its presumed congeners in Tilapia [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis humilis (Steindachner 1866) modest or unassuming, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to any or all of the following: “significantly less curved” back and head profile and/or lack of transverse bands compared to Chromis ovalis (=Tilapia sparrmanii), its presumed congener at the time; dorsal-fin rays reaching “on average no significant length”; “dirty yellowish brown” color (translations)
Haplochromis insidiae Snoeks 1994 deception or deceit, referring to its “peculiar and misleading” tooth shape, leading some previous workers to confuse it with H. astatodon
Haplochromis iris Hoogerhoud & Witte 1981 Iris, Greek goddess of the rainbow, referring to multiple colors of sexually active males [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis ishmaeli Boulenger 1906 in honor of George Ishmael, Interpreter to the Police Court at Entebbe, to whom Edward Degen (Swiss ornithologist who collected type) is “indebted for valuable assistance during his stay in Uganda” [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis kamiranzovu Snoeks, Coenen & Thys van den Audenaerde 1984 named for mouth of Kamiranzovu River into Lake Kivu, Nyamasheke, Rwanda, type locality
Haplochromis katavi Seegers 1996 named for Katavi National Park; type specimens caught from Katuma River (northern Lake Rukwa drainage, western Tanzania) at the border of this park, and is probably the only species of Haplochromis that occurs within it
Haplochromis katonga Schraml & Tichy 2010 named for Katonga River, Uganda, only known area of occurrence
Haplochromis katunzii ter Huurne & Witte 2010 in honor of Egid F. B. Katunzi, Director of the Mwanza Centre of the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, who has collaborated with the Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team (HEST) of Leiden University since 1979, when he did his MSc study on food preferences of four haplochromine species from the Mwanza Gulf; he published several papers on Lake Victoria haplochromines and has continuously supported HEST fieldwork for 30 years
Haplochromis kimondo Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Swahili for meteor, referring to its blunt head, pyriform body with mid-lateral band, and yellow coloration of ventral part of body
Haplochromis kujunjui van Oijen 1991 of Kujunju point, a landmark northeast of Standieri Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, type locality
Haplochromis labiatus Trewavas 1933 lipped, referring to its “thick mobile” lips
Haplochromis labriformis (Nichols & La Monte 1938) etymology not explained, perhaps labri-, Labrus (wrasse) and forma, shape, referring to superficial resemblance with wrasses in general or Labrus in particular (although we fail to see a resemblance)
Haplochromis lacrimosus (Boulenger 1906) tearful or weeping, referring to “black vertical bar below anterior third of eye, rarely indistinct or absent” [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis laparogramma Greenwood & Gee 1969 lapara, flank; gramma, line, referring to conspicuous midlateral stripe [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis latifasciatus Regan 1929 latus, wide; fasciatus, banded, referring to four broad black bars (somewhat narrowed below) on body [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis latifrons Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 latus, wide; frons, forehead, referring to “very broad interorbital area for a piscivorous species”
Haplochromis limax Trewavas 1933 slug or snail, allusion not explained nor evident
Haplochromis lividus Greenwood 1956 bluish or leaden, presumably referring to slate-gray ground color of breeding males, with a “vivid, almost flourescent” blue sheen on interorbital regional of head, snout, lips, and preorbital
Haplochromis loati Greenwood 1971 in honor of the late William Leonard Stevenson Loat (1871-1932), British archaeologist, naturalist and superintendent of the survey party that first collected this species at Gondokoro, South Sudan, in 1902 (also occurs in Uganda) [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis lobatus Vranken, van Steenberge, Kayenbergh & Snoeks 2020 lobed, referring to lobed lips that are often medially enlarged
Haplochromis longirostris (Hilgendorf 1888) longus, long; rostris, snout, referring to length of snout, “almost equal to 2 eyes” (translation) [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis luluae (Fowler 1930) of the Lulua River, Democratic Republic of Congo, type locality [sometimes placed in Ctenochromis]
Haplochromis macconneli Greenwood 1974 in honor of Richard B. McConnell, Officer in Charge of the Fisheries Department at Lake Rudolf (now Lake Turkana), for assistance given to the Lake Rudolf Research Project team (also husband of tropical-fish ecologist Rosemary Lowe-McConnell) [note latinization of “Mc” to “Mac”; sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis macrognathus Regan 1922 macro-, long or large; gnathus, jaw, presumably referring to “very strongly projecting” lower jaw [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis macrops (Boulenger 1911) macro-, long or large; ops, eye, “which is 3 times in length of head, equals interorbital width, and much exceeds least depth of praeorbital” [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis macropsoides Greenwood 1973 –oides, having the form of: referring to overall similarity with H. macrops
Haplochromis maculipinna (Pellegrin 1913) macula, spot; pinna, fin, referring to two rows of spots on dorsal fin
Haplochromis mahagiensis David & Poll 1937 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Mahagi (now Mahagi Port), Lake Albert, Uganda, type locality [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis maisomei van Oijen 1991 of Maisome Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, type locality
Haplochromis malacophagus Poll & Damas 1939 malakos, soft, root word of malacology, the study of molluscs; phago, eating, referring to its molluscivorous diet
Haplochromis mandibularis Greenwood 1962 of the jaw, presumably referring to lower jaw, which projects “markedly” beyond upper jaw in some specimens
Haplochromis martini (Boulenger 1906) in honor of James Martin, Transport Officer in the Uganda Protectorate, for much assistance rendered to Edward Degen (Swiss ornithologist who collected type) [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia; possibly extinct]
Haplochromis maxillaris Trewavas 1928 referring to its “more exposed” maxillary compared to the closely related H. microdon
Haplochromis megalops Greenwood & Gee 1969 mega-, large; ops, eye, referring to large eye, its diameter 32.7-41.0% of HL [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis melanopterus Trewavas 1928 melanos, black; pterus, fin, referring to its blackish vertical and pelvic fins [sometimes placed in Lipochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis melanopus Regan 1922 melano-, black; pous, foot, referring to “blackish” pelvic fins [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis melichrous Greenwood & Gee 1969 Greek for honey-colored, referring to golden-brown coloration of females
Haplochromis mentatus Regan 1925 chinned, referring to projecting lower jaw [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis mento Regan 1922 mentum, chin, probably referring to “strongly projecting” lower jaw
Haplochromis michaeli Trewavas 1928 in honor of British fisheries scientist Michael Graham (1898-1972), who collected type [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis microchrysomelas Snoeks 1994 micro-, small, referring to small size (up to 82.5 mm SL); chrysos, golden, referring to conspicuous golden-yellow color on tail of adult males; melas, black, referring to dark body color of both sexes
Haplochromis microdon (Boulenger 1906) micro-, small; odon, tooth, referring to its “very small” teeth [sometimes placed in Lipochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis moeruensis (Boulenger 1899) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Moero (now Mweru), Democratic Republic of Congo, type locality [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis molossus Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2019 pug-head (i.e., flat face and broad, rounded jaws with a gentle gape inclination), referring to pugs, mastiff-like dogs also called Molossus dogs due to their ancestral origin as dogs of Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe [name published online in 2018 but not available until 2019]
Haplochromis mylergates Greenwood & Barel 1978 a miller, referring to “extreme hypertrophy of the pharyngeal apparatus and its effects” on this cichlid’s molluscan prey [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis mylodon Greenwood 1973 mylo-, grinder; odon, teeth, referring to mill-like crushing dentition of its pharyngeal bones [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis nanoserranus Greenwood & Barel 1978 nanus, dwarf, i.e., a smaller cichlid (76 mm SL) compared to the related H. serranus (101-205 mm SL)
Haplochromis nigrescens (Pellegrin 1909) blackish, referring to chocolate-colored body with blackish fins
Haplochromis nigripinnis Regan 1921 nigri-, black; pinnis, fin, referring to blackish vertical and pelvic fins
Haplochromis nigroides (Pellegrin 1928) –oides, having the form of: niger, black, referring to uniformly dark-brown coloration of territorial males, both alive and preserved
Haplochromis niloticus Greenwood 1960 –icus, belonging to: Victoria Nile, where it appears to be endemic
Haplochromis nubilus (Boulenger 1906) dark or cloudy, referring to black color of adult males and dark gray or brown to blackish color of juveniles and adult females [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis nuchisquamulatus (Hilgendorf 1888) nucha, nape of neck; squamulatus, small-scaled, “characterized by its hitherto unknown small neck scales, which are barely half the size of the scales on the sides of the body” (translation) [sometimes placed in Xystichromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis nyanzae Greenwood 1962 of Nyanza, local name for Lake Victoria, where it is endemic
Haplochromis obesus (Boulenger 1906) fat or stout, presumably referring to much deeper and rounded body compared to the allied H. microdon [sometimes placed in Lipochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis obliquidens (Hilgendorf 1888) oblique, slanting or inclining in direction; dens, teeth, referring to flattened and obliquely truncated teeth
Haplochromis obtusidens Trewavas 1928 obtusus, blunt; dens, teeth, referring to “large blunt” teeth on “somewhat massive” plate of lower pharyngeal [sometimes placed in Gaurochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis; possibly extinct]
Haplochromis occultidens Snoeks 1988 occultus, hidden; dens, teeth, referring to some teeth deeply embedded in the gums and generally difficult to observe
Haplochromis oligacanthus Regan 1922 oligo-, few; acanthus, spine, referring to fewer dorsal-fin spines compared to H. stigmatogenys [sometimes placed in Ctenochromis]
Haplochromis oligolepis Lippitsch 2003 oligo-, few; lepis, scale, referring to low number of longitudinal scales, being closer in this respect to fluviatile cichlids than to most Lake Victoria haplochromines
Haplochromis olivaceus Snoeks, de Vos, Coenen & Thys van den Audenaerde 1990 olive-colored, referring to general color of males when not highly territorial
Haplochromis oregosoma Greenwood 1973 orego, to stretch; soma, body, referring to its “rather elongate” form
Haplochromis pachycephalus Greenwood 1967 pachys, thick; cephalus, head, referring to broader interorbital compared to other members of the H. serranus species group
Haplochromis pallidus (Boulenger 1911) pale, referring to yellowish or “pale brownish” body and/or yellowish or “pale brownish” fins [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis pancitrinus Mietes & Witte 2010 pan-, all; citrinus, yellow, referring to live coloration of males
Haplochromis pappenheimi (Boulenger 1914) in honor of Paul Pappenheim (1878-1945), then curator of fishes, Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, and who co-authored paper in which description appeared [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis paradoxus (Lippitsch & Kaufman 2003) contrary to expectation, referring to strange appearance of its strongly oblique gape and lower jaw, and to its “seemingly paradoxical zoogeographical situation,” in which congeners occur in lakes Edward, Victoria and Kyoga even though Lake Victoria dried out 17,300 years ago and refilled 2,600 years later, after which and all of its haplochromine cichlids evolved in situ
Haplochromis paraguiarti Greenwood 1967 para-, near, referring to its close superficial resemblance to H. guiarti [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis paraplagiostoma Greenwood & Gee 1969 para-, near, referring to “a certain superficial similarity” with H. plagiostoma
Haplochromis pardus Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Latin for leopard, referring to its nearly uniform black to yellow-pink flanks with clear black blotches, like the interrupted horizontal and vertical stripes of a leopard
Haplochromis paropius Greenwood & Gee 1969 Greek for eye shade, referring to prominent lachrymal stripe
Haplochromis parvidens (Boulenger 1911) parvus, small; dens, teeth, referring to its “very small” conical teeth [sometimes placed in Lipochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis paucidens Regan 1921 pauci-, few; dens, teeth, presumably referring to fewer number of outer teeth on lower jaws compared to H. astatodon [sometimes placed in Paralabidochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis pelagicus Vranken, van Steenberge, Mbalassa & Snoeks 2023 from the Greek pelágios, “of the sea,” but often applied to the main water column of any body of water, here referring to its occurrence in the open waters of Lakes Edward and George and the Kazinga Channel
Haplochromis pellegrini Regan 1922 in honor of French ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944), who “kindly” sent notes on “two or three specimens in the collection of the Paris Museum about which [Regan] had some doubts”
Haplochromis percoides Boulenger 1906 –oides, having the form of: presumably referring to its similarity with the European Perch, Perca fluviatilis [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis perrieri (Pellegrin 1909) in honor of invertebrate zoologist Edmond Perrier (1844-1921), director of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (1900-1919) [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis pharyngalis Poll & Damas 1939 pharyngeal, referring to middle teeth of pharyngeal bone, which are flattened like cobblestones [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis pharyngomylus Regan 1929 pharyngo-, pharyngeal; mylus, grinder or molar, referring to “stout blunt” teeth on “massive” lower pharyngeal [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis phytophagus Greenwood 1966 phyton, plant; phago, eating, referring to how it gains nutrition from diatoms by macerating and swallowing (but not digesting) phanerogram (spermatophyte) leaf tissue [somiusetimes placed in Xystichromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis piceatus Greenwood & Gee 1969 smeared with pitch, referring to coloration of preserved specimens [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis pitmani Fowler 1936 in honor of ornithologist and herpetologist Charles Pitman (1890-1975), a retired officer of the Indian Army who settled in Uganda and became a game warden; he “cordially assisted” the George Vanderbilt African Expedition of 1934 during its work at Kisubi Mission, Kitala, Lake Victoria, type locality
Haplochromis placodus Poll & Damas 1939 placo-, plate; odous, tooth, referring to flattened teeth of middle pharyngeal bone, shaped like small cobblestones
Haplochromis plagiodon Regan & Trewavas 1928 plagio-, oblique; odon, tooth, presumably referring to teeth of outer series, with a “long oblique anterior cusp”
Haplochromis plagiostoma Regan 1922 plagio-, oblique; stoma, mouth, described as “very oblique”
Haplochromis planus Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2020 flat, referring to its flat, shovel-like lower jaw
Haplochromis plutonius Greenwood & Barel 1978 of or belonging to Pluto (god or king of the nether world), regularly described as dark, black or gloomy, referring to dusky preserved coloration of adult males [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis polli Thys van den Audenaerde 1964 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll (1908-1991), for his work exploring the fishes of Stanley Pool, Lower Congo (type locality) [sometimes placed in Ctenochromis]
Haplochromis prodromus Trewavas 1935 precursor, allusion not explained, replacement name for Haplochromis annectens (dating to 11 April 1922), secondarily preoccupied in Haplochromis by Cyrtocara (now Protomelas) annectens (dating to 27 Jan. 1922), possibly referring to how latter name is “predated” (Trewavas’ term) by the former
Haplochromis prognathus (Pellegrin 1904) pro-, in front of; gnathus, jaw, referring to “strongly prominent” (translation) lower jaw [sometimes placed in Prognathochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis pseudopellegrini Greenwood 1967 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this cichlid may resemble H. pellegrini, such an appearance is false
Haplochromis ptistes Greenwood & Barel 1978 winnower or sheller, referring to its “crushing pharyngeal mechanism” and the “effect it has on its molluscan prey” [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis pyrrhocephalus Witte & Witte-Maas 1987 pyrrhos, flame; cephalus, head, referring to bright orange dorsal surface of head of living males [sometimes placed in Yssichromis]
Haplochromis pyrrhopteryx van Oijen 1991 pyrrhos, flame; pteryx, fin, referring to bright, orange-red coloration of median fins in live specimens of both sexes, juveniles as well as adults [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis quasimodo Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 named for the hump-backed character in Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), referring to rather shallow head and deep and rhomboid bodies of large specimens
Haplochromis relictidens Vranken, van Steenberge & Snoeks 2019 relinquere, to relinquish; dens, tooth, referring to reduction in number of outer teeth in both jaws as it grows [name published online in 2018 but not available until 2019]
Haplochromis retrodens (Hilgendorf 1888) retro-, back; dens, teeth, allusion not explained, probably referring to strongly recurved teeth on outer row of both jaws [sometimes placed in Hoplotilapia, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis rex Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Latin for king (one that holds a preeminent position), referring to “very small eyes, deep cheeks, and strong jaws set with large and acute teeth indicating this piscivore has most specialised morphology among all piscivores from the Lake Edward system to hunt on large prey”
Haplochromis riponianus (Boulenger 1911) –ianus, belonging to: Ripon Falls (now submerged by a dam), northern end of Lake Victoria, Uganda, type locality (probably widely distributed in Lake Victoria and also recorded from the Victoria Nile) [sometimes placed in Psammochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis rubescens Snoeks 1994 reddish, referring to coloration of adult males
Haplochromis rudolfianus Trewavas ianus, belonging to: Lake Rudolf (now Turkana), Kenya, where it is endemic [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis sauvagei (Pfeffer 1896) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of paleontologist-ichthyologist Henri Émile Sauvage (1842-1917), who is cited numerous times in Pfeffer’s monograph [sometimes placed in Paralabidochromis]
Haplochromis saxicola Greenwood 1960 saxum, rock; cola, inhabitant, referring to its occurrence over hard substrates of sand, rock or shingle
Haplochromis scheffersi Snoeks, de Vos & Thys van den Audenaerde 1987 in honor of W. Scheffers, Director of the FAO Project for Fisheries Development at Lake Kivu, Rwanda (where this cichlid is endemic), whose benevolence and kindness greatly facilitated the authors’ work in the field
Haplochromis schubotzi Boulenger 1914 in honor of zoologist Johann G. Hermann Schubotz (1881-1955), who collected many fishes (including type of this one) as a member Deutsche Zentral-Afrika Expedition (1907-1908), and who edited publication in which description appeared
Haplochromis schubotziellus Greenwood 1973 –iellus, a diminutive, referring to how this species is often confused with small specimens of H. schubotzi in the field [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis schwetzi Poll 1967 in honor of the late Yakov (later Jacques) Schwetz (1847-1957), Russian-born Belgian physician-entomologist who, while studying schistosomiasis and other diseases, also collected fishes, including type of this one in 1936 [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis serranus (Pfeffer 1896) etymology not explained, probably referring to its resemblance to sea basses of the genus Serranus (Serranidae) [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis serridens Regan 1925 serra, saw; dens, teeth, presumably referring to ~50 bicuspid teeth in outer series of upper jaw
Haplochromis simba Vranken, van Steenberge, Heylen, Decru & Snoeks 2022 Swahili for lion, referring to its yellow body and orange cheeks, which resemble the mane of a male lion, and its “predatory morphology”
Haplochromis simpsoni Greenwood 1965 in honor of Michael J. A. Simpson, member of the Cambridge Nabugabo Biological Survey in Uganda, during which type was collected
Haplochromis snoeksi Wamuini Lunkayilakio & Vreven 2010 in honor of Jos Snoeks, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), curator of fishes, Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale, and a specialist in African cichlids, for support and supervision of the senior author’s doctoral dissertation
Haplochromis spekii (Boulenger 1906) in honor of English explorer and army officer John Henning Speke (1827-1864) who, with James Augustus Grant (see H. granti), discovered that Lake Victoria (where this cichlid is endemic) is a major source of the Nile [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis sphex ter Huurne & Witte 2010 Greek for wasp, referring to wasp-like coloration of males (typically yellow with black stripes)
Haplochromis squamipinnis Regan 1921 squamus, scale; pinnis, fin, referring to series of small scales on basal parts of posterior half of dorsal and anal fins, between the rays [sometimes placed in Harpagochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis squamulatus Regan 1922 small-scaled, referring to very small scales on nape and pectoral region
Haplochromis stigmatogenys (Boulenger 1913) stigmatus, marked; genys, cheek, referring to black spot usually on chin [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis sulphureus Greenwood & Barel 1978 referring to sulphur-yellow adult coloration of both sexes
Haplochromis tanaos van Oijen & Witte 1996 Greek for outstretched or long, referring to its slender body shape
Haplochromis taurinus Trewavas 1933 bull-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its stout or muscular appearance, with a projecting lower jaw, “rather strongly exposed” maxillary, an firmly thickened lips
Haplochromis teegelaari Greenwood & Barel 1978 in honor of the late Nico Teegelaar (1926-1976), an “outstanding” Dutch biological artist whose work “contributed much to the researches” of the Zoology Department of Leiden University, where the junior author worked [sometimes placed in Labrochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis teunisrasi Witte & Witte-Maas 1981 in honor of Teunis Ras, a “Dutch master fisherman,” for the help he gave the Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team to Mwanza Gulf of Lake Victoria and “especially for the pains he took in making the fishing gear and in teaching us how to use it”
Haplochromis theliodon Greenwood 1960 etymology not explained, presumably thele, teat or nipple (or thelazo, suckle or suck), and odon, tooth, allusion not evident (although it may be relevant to note that this cichlid is a bottom-feeder whose diet includes “fairly large quantities of bottom debris”)
Haplochromis thereuterion van Oijen & Witte 1996 diminutive of therates, hunter, i.e., a small hunter, referring to predatory habits of this small (55.5-82.0 mm SL) cichlid
Haplochromis thuragnathus Greenwood 1967 thura-, door, allusion not explained nor evident; gnathus, jaw, possibly referring to its more oblique lower jaw compared to H. boops [extinct]
Haplochromis toddi (Boulenger 1905) in honor of Canadian physician and parasitologist John Lancelot Todd (1876-1949), who helped collect type
Haplochromis tridens Regan & Trewavas 1928 tri-, three; dens, teeth, probably referring to mostly tricuspid outer series of teeth [sometimes placed in Tridontochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis turkanae Greenwood 1974 of Lake Turkana (formerly Rudolf), Kenya, where it is endemic [sometimes placed in Thoracochromis]
Haplochromis tyrianthinus Greenwood & Gee 1969 of Tyrian purple, referring to predominantly purple colors of males
Haplochromis ushindi Van Oijen 2004 Swahili for victory, referring to its size (up to 230 mm SL), the largest haplochromine cichlid species known from the Mwanza area of Lake Victoria, making it the “champion” of the hundreds of species prior to the explosive increase of the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) in the area around 1985 [possibly extinct]
Haplochromis vanheusdeni Schedel, Friel & Schliewen 2014 in honor of Dutch aquarist Hans van Heusden (b. 1957), “one of the most dedicated cichlid naturalists, who has documented for the first time with underwater photographs and videos as well as with aquarium observations the behaviour and ecology of [this] new species and many other cichlids all over Africa”
Haplochromis vanoijeni de Zeeuw & Witte 2010 in honor of ichthyologist Martien J. P. van Oijen, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden, Netherlands), for his work on the taxonomy and ecology of haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria, and one of the “pioneers” of the Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team (HEST) of Leiden University that started its fieldwork in 1977
Haplochromis velifer Trewavas 1933 bearing a sail, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to pectoral fins, “nearly as long as head, reaching vertical from vent or original of anal” [sometimes placed in Astatotilapia]
Haplochromis venator Greenwood 1965 Latin for hunter, described as “predominantly a piscivorous predator”
Haplochromis vicarius Trewavas 1933 substitute or deputy, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how this cichlid, occurring in Lakes Edward and George, is “near” H. cinereus of Lake Victoria
Haplochromis victorianus (Pellegrin 1904) –ianus, belonging to: Lake Victoria, where it is endemic
Haplochromis vittatus (Boulenger 1901) banded, referring to prominent longitudinal bands on body of most specimens
Haplochromis vonlinnei van Oijen & de Zeeuw 2008 in honor of the “contriver” of modern biological nomenclature, Carl von Linné (1707-1788), rendered in Latin as Carolus Linnæus, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the official start of zoological nomenclature
Haplochromis worthingtoni Regan 1929 in honor of Edward Barton Worthington (1905-2001), pioneer explorer of African lakes and their fisheries, who collected type with Michael Graham (see H. michaeli)
Haplochromis xenognathus Greenwood 1957 xenos, strange or foreign (i.e., different); gnathus, jaw, presumably referring to how lower jaw is shorter than upper jaw in 74% of specimens examined (subequal in the remaining 26%) [sometimes placed in Ptyochromis, treated here as a synonym of Haplochromis]
Haplochromis xenostoma Regan 1922 xenos, strange or foreign (i.e., different); stoma, mouth, referring to oblique mouth with very prominent lower jaw, which projects upwards and over end of snout
Haplotaxodon Boulenger 1906 haplos, simple; taxis, placement; odon, tooth, presumably referring to the simple arrangement of a single series of teeth
Haplotaxodon microlepis Boulenger 1906 micro-, small; lepis, scale, referring to small ctenoid scales covering body
Hemibates Regan 1920 hemi-, partial; [Bathy]bates, allusion not explained, probably referring to small teeth and moderate mouth compared to strong teeth and moderate mouth of the similar and/or allied Bathybates, also a deepwater genus from Lake Tanganyika
Hemibates koningsi Schedel & Schliewen 2017 in honor of Adrianus (“Ad”) F. Konings (b. 1956), ichthyologist, cichlid aquarist and publisher, the first person to recognize this species as distinct, “in appreciation of the inspiration to many cichlidophiles that arose from his continued popular and scientific contributions”
Hemibates stenosoma (Boulenger 1901) stenos, narrow; soma, body, referring to its “strongly compressed” body
Hemichromis Peters 1857 hemi-, partial, referring to similarity to Chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), then beginning to be used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Hemichromis angolensis Steindachner 1865 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Angola, probably in the Cuanza basin (Duque de Bragança, now Calandula), at the Lucala River, type locality
Hemichromis camerounensis Bitja-Nyom, Agnèse, Pariselle, Bilong-Bilong, Gilles & Snoeks 2021 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cameroon (Cameroun in French), where type locality is situated and where this cichlid is common in major coastal Atlantic river systems (also occurs in Nigeria)
Hemichromis elongatus (Guichenot 1861) elongate, presumably referring to “oblong” (translation) shape of body, more oblong than “les Labres” (wrasses), thought to be related to cichlids at the time
Hemichromis exsul (Trewavas 1933) exile or outcast, referring to its “surprising” occurrence in Lake Rudolf (now Turkana), Kenya, far away from the Congo and west-African distributions of its presumed congeners in Pelmatochromis
Hemichromis fasciatus Peters 1857 banded, referring to dark vertical bands (more like elongated blotches) on sides
Hemitaeniochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 hemi-, half and taenia, band, referring to how mid-lateral band is confined to posterior half of body (but continues forward as a series of spots); chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), often used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Hemitaeniochromis brachyrhynchus Oliver 2012 brachys, short; rhynchus, snout, referring to “abbreviated preocular region of the head”
Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia (Regan 1922) oura, tail; taenia, band, presumably referring to a series of spots that form a band on posterior body and caudal peduncle
Hemitilapia Boulenger 1902 hemi-, partial, described as similar to Tilapia but with different dentition
Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus Boulenger 1902 oxys, sharp; rhynchus, snout, referring to pointed snout with concave profile
Heterochromis Regan 1922 hetero-, different, described as “well distinguished from all other African Cichlidae by the dentition, the shape of the head, the scaly soft dorsal and anal fins, and the separation of the lateral lines by three rows of scales”; chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), often used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Heterochromis multidens (Pellegrin 1900) multi-, many; dens, teeth, presumably referring to ~10 rows of teeth in both jaws
Heterotilapia Regan 1920 hetero-, different, proposed as a subgenus of Tilapia distinguished by its dentition and exposed (vs. concealed) maxillary
Heterotilapia buettikoferi (Hubrecht 1881) in honor of Swiss zoologist Johann Büttikofer (1850-1927), who collected type [originally spelled “butikofferi” but corrected to “buetikofferi” per ICZN Art. 32.5.2.1]
Heterotilapia cessiana Thys van den Audenaerde 1968 –iana, belonging to: Cess (also known as Cestos and Nipoué) River, Toyebli, Ivory Coast, type locality
Interochromis Yamaoka, Hori & Kuwamura 1988 inter-, among or between, referring to how this genus is in many respects intermediate between the grazers (Petrochromis) and browsers (Limnotilapia, Simochromis, Tropheus); chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), often used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Interochromis loocki (Poll 1949) in honor of E. Van Loock, Director, Great Lakes Railways Company, for his support of the Belgian Hydrobiological Mission to Lake Tanganyika (1946-1947), during which type was collected
Iodotropheus Oliver & Loiselle 1972 iodes, rust-colored, referring to color of I. sprengerae; tropheus, referring to superficial morphological similarity to Pseudotropheus
Iodotropheus sprengerae Oliver & Loiselle 1972 in honor of Kappy Sprenger, “outstanding aquarist, aquarium writer and artist of Los Gatos, California,” who took a special interest in this species; “Her persistent efforts to have this fish correctly identified led to the recognition that it was undescribed.”
Iodotropheus stuartgranti Konings 1990 in honor of Stuart M. Grant (1937-2007), exporter of cichlids from Lake Malawi, who introduced this small mbuna, among many others, into the aquarium hobby
Iranocichla Coad 1982 Iran, where genus is endemic; cichla, referring to family Cichlidae
Iranocichla hormuzensis Coad 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Hormuz, “once a famous emporium at the mouth of the Persian Gulf,” from which is derived the Harmozdgan province of Iran, where this cichlid is endemic
Jabarichromis Haefeli, Schedel, Ronco, Indermaur & Salzburger 2024 Swahili word for brave one, emperor or ruler, referring to hunting behavior of J. pfefferi and their large hunting territories, which can reach up to 500m2; chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), often used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Jabarichromis pfefferi (Boulenger 1898) in honor of the “distinguished” German zoologist Georg Johann Pfeffer (1854-1931), “who has much contributed to our knowledge of East African ichthyology”
Julidochromis Boulenger 1898 julido, referring to the julidine lineage or subgroup of wrasses (Labridae), referring to their similar specialized dentition and “general aspect”; chromis, a name dating to Aristotle, possibly derived from chroemo (to neigh), referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise, later expanded to embrace cichlids, damselfishes, dottybacks and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related), often used in the names of African cichlid genera following Chromis (now Oreochromis) mossambicus Peters 1852
Julidochromis brichardi (Poll 1974) in honor of aquarium fish exporter Pierre Brichard (1921-1990), who collected holotype
Julidochromis cyanophleps (Kullander, Karlsson, Karlsson & Norén 2014) cyano-, blue; phleps, vein, referring to conspicuous blue stripe below eye
Julidochromis dickfeldi Staeck 1975 in honor of German aquarist Alf Dickfeld, whose idea it was to undertake the expedition to Zambia, during which holotype was collected
Julidochromis marksmithi Burgess 2014 in honor of aquarist Mark Smith, who was instrumental in obtaining the specimens used in the description and providing photographs of living species of Julidochromis
Julidochromis marlieri Poll 1956 in honor of Belgian zoologist Georges Marlier, director of IRSAC (Institut pour la Recherche Scientifique en Afrique Centrale) on Lake Tanganyika, who collected type of this species and others, “in honor of and gratitude for his valuable collaboration” (translation)
Julidochromis ornatus Boulenger 1898 decorated, referring to its coloration: three dark-brown stripes on each side of a yellowish body, brown-edged anal fin, large round dark-brown spot on base of caudal fin, and a small black spot at base of pectoral fin
Julidochromis popelini (Brichard 1989) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Capt. Émile Popelin (1847-1881), Belgian officer who died of a liver abscess on the shores of Lake Tanganyika (where this cichlid is endemic)
Julidochromis regani regani Poll 1942 in honor of ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan (1878-1943), Natural History Museum (London), “author of an important revision [1920] of the cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, which we have had the opportunity to cite various times” (translation)
Julidochromis regani affinis Brichard 1978 related, name coined by Hubert Matthes (Royal Museum of Central Africa) for a geographical race of J. regani
Julidochromis transcriptus Matthes 1959 transcribed, allusion not explained but here is a guess: referring to its close similarity to J. ornatus, so close that it might be considered a transcribed copy of it
Konia Trewavas 1972 latinization of konye, Barombi name for K. eisentrauti at Lake Barombi-Mbo, Cameroon, where it is endemic
Konia dikume Trewavas 1972 Barombi name for this cichlid at Lake Barombi-Mbo, Cameroon, where it is endemic
Konia eisentrauti (Trewavas 1962) in honor of German zoologist Martin Eisentraut (1902-1994), who led expedition during which type was collected, and who gave Trewavas the opportunity to study and report on the fishes he collected