Alticorpus macrocleithrum
Encyclopedia
Alticorpus macrocleithrum is a species of fish
in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Malawi
, where it can be found at depths between 30 and 150 m (98.4 and 492.1 ft). This species differs from all other species of Alticorpus
by the presence of a prominent ventral protuberance of the cleithrum
on the chest, hence the name macrocleithrum.
Like all members of Alticorpus, A. macrocleithrum has enlarged lateral pores on the lower part of the head. The feeding technique of these species is to 'listen' for any movements within the sediment. Once they have located a prey buried in the sediment, they will dart at it, picking it out of the sediment. The enlarged cleithrum
found throughout these species acts as a base for the enlarged musculature needed to pull themselves free of the sediment once buried into it from chasing prey. Their diet can consist of many small organisms including crustacean
s, larvae
etc.
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, where it can be found at depths between 30 and 150 m (98.4 and 492.1 ft). This species differs from all other species of Alticorpus
Alticorpus
Alticorpus is a small genus of cichlids containing five formally described species, and at least 2 undescribed species, all endemic to the deep waters of Lake Malawi....
by the presence of a prominent ventral protuberance of the cleithrum
Cleithrum
The cleithrum is a membrane bone which first appears as part of the skeleton in primitive bony fish, where it runs vertically along the scapula. Its name is derived from Greek κλειθρον = "key ", by analogy with "clavicle" from Latin clavicula = "little key".In modern fishes, the cleithrum is a...
on the chest, hence the name macrocleithrum.
Like all members of Alticorpus, A. macrocleithrum has enlarged lateral pores on the lower part of the head. The feeding technique of these species is to 'listen' for any movements within the sediment. Once they have located a prey buried in the sediment, they will dart at it, picking it out of the sediment. The enlarged cleithrum
Cleithrum
The cleithrum is a membrane bone which first appears as part of the skeleton in primitive bony fish, where it runs vertically along the scapula. Its name is derived from Greek κλειθρον = "key ", by analogy with "clavicle" from Latin clavicula = "little key".In modern fishes, the cleithrum is a...
found throughout these species acts as a base for the enlarged musculature needed to pull themselves free of the sediment once buried into it from chasing prey. Their diet can consist of many small organisms including crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
etc.