Telmatochromis is a small cichlid

Cichlid

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae

Pseudocrenilabrinae

The Pseudocrenilabrinae is a subfamily in the cichlid family of fishes to which, according to a study from 2004, includes all the Middle Eastern and African cichlids with the exception of the unusual Heterochromis multidens and the Malagasy species. Previous authors recognized additional African...

. These ray-finned fishes are endemic to Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...

 in East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

.

Systematics

7 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 are included here. Analysis of their mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase

NADH dehydrogenase

NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme located in the inner mitochondrial membrane that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q...

 subunit

Protein subunit

In structural biology, a protein subunit or subunit protein is a single protein molecule that assembles with other protein molecules to form a protein complex: a multimeric or oligomeric protein. Many naturally occurring proteins and enzymes are multimeric...

 2 (ND2) sequence

DNA sequence

The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...

 shows that hybridization must have played some role in the evolution

Evolution

Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...

 of this genus.

For one thing, it might be that Telmatochromis is close to Julidochromis

Julidochromis

Julidochromis is a genus of cichlids in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. They are commonly called julies and are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. This genus includes at least 5 species, each with a number of subspecies and local variants of uncertain taxonomic status...

, which they somewhat resemble. A possibility is hybridization between the ancestor of Telmatochromis and a lineage of Julidochromis which later gave rise to J. marlieri

Julidochromis marlieri

Julidochromis marlieri is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa where it is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. In the aquarium trade, it is commonly known as Marlier's Julie or Spotted Julie.-References:*...

and the Convict Julie

Convict julie

The Convict Julie, Julidochromis regani, is a cichlid species in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae family endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Hence it is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. The fish is named after Charles Tate Regan.This species is closely related...

 (J. regani). Similar ND2 DNA has been found in these and T. bifrenatus

Telmatochromis bifrenatus

Telmatochromis bifrenatus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...

, T. brichardi and T. temporalis

Telmatochromis temporalis

Telmatochromis temporalis is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...

.

T. vittatus

Telmatochromis vittatus

Telmatochromis vittatus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...

on the other hand has a ND2 DNA sequence resembling that of Lamprologus congoensis and L. teugelsi. But T. vittatus does not at all appear very similar to these species, and in fact may well be closer to T. bifrenatus and T. brichardi than to T. temporalis. That would mean that male ancestors of T. vittatus had successfully interbred with female Lamprologus

Lamprologus

Lamprologus is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family. They are native to Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River Basin in Africa. The type species for this genus is Lamprologus congoensis, a species from the Congo River. The genus is under some revision and may eventually be restricted to these...

after the lineage of the former had diverged from its relatives.

Species

The following species have been described:

• Telmatochromis bifrenatus
  Telmatochromis bifrenatus
  Telmatochromis bifrenatus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
  
  
• Telmatochromis brachygnathus
  Telmatochromis brachygnathus
  Telmatochromis brachygnathus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
  
  
• Telmatochromis brichardi Louisy, 1989
• Telmatochromis burgeoni Poll, 1942
• Telmatochromis dhonti
  Telmatochromis dhonti
  Telmatochromis dhonti is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
  
  
• Telmatochromis temporalis
  Telmatochromis temporalis
  Telmatochromis temporalis is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
  
  
• Telmatochromis vittatus
  Telmatochromis vittatus
  Telmatochromis vittatus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...