Harpagochromis

Harpagochromis sp., from african-cichlid.com.

Belongs within: Haplochromini.

Harpagochromis is a genus of large predatory cichlids found in Lake Victoria and neighbouring water bodies (Greenwood 1980).

Characters (from Greenwood 1980): Robust and deep to relatively deep-bodied (body depth 30–42% standard length), reaching large maximum adult size (146–200 mm standard length). Mouth generally horizontal or slightly oblique, sometimes distinctly oblique; lower jaw long (43–61% head length) with promiment mental protuberance. Anterior and anterolateral regions of premaxilla not produced to form distinct peak or beak. Neurocranium essentially of generalised type but with shallower otic region (40–44% neurocranial length) and higher supraoccipital crest which is generally near pyramidal in outline. Preorbital skull depth 23–28% neurocranial length, skull width 54–60%, greatest orbital depth 25–31%. Outer jaw teeth strong and recurved, unequally bicuspid and a few unicuspids in fishes <90 mm SL, proportion of unicuspids increasing in larger fishes until only unicuspids are present in specimens >120 mm SL; outer row in premaxilla with 48–80 teeth. One or two (less commonly three to five) inner rows of teeth in each jaw. Cheek fully scaled, generally with four or five rows of scales (less frequently two, three or six rows).

Harpagochromis Greenwood 1980 G80
    |--*H. serranus (Pfeffer 1896) [=Hemichromis serranus, Haplochromis serranus] G80
    |--H. altigenis (Regan 1922) [=Haplochromis altigenis] G80
    |--H. artaxerxes (Greenwood 1962) [=Haplochromis artaxerxes] G80
    |--H. boops (Greenwood 1967) [=Haplochromis boops] G80
    |--H. cavifrons (Hilgendorf 1888) [=Haplochromis cavifrons] G80
    |--‘Haplochromis’ diplotaenia Regan & Trewavas 1928 G80
    |--H. guiarti (Pellegrin 1904) [=Haplochromis guiarti] G80
    |--H. maculipinna (Pellegrin 1913) [=Haplochromis maculipinna] G80
    |--H. michaeli (Trewavas 1928) [=Haplochromis michaeli] G80
    |--H. nyanzae (Greenwood 1962) [=Haplochromis nyanzae] G80
    |--H. pachycephalus (Greenwood 1967) [=Haplochromis pachycephalus] G80
    |--‘Haplochromis’ paraplagiostoma Greenwood & Gee 1969 G80
    |--H. pectoralis (Boulenger 1911) (see below for synonymy) G80
    |--H. plagiostoma (Regan 1922) [=Haplochromis plagiostoma] G80
    |--H. spekii (Boulenger 1906) [=Haplochromis spekii] G80
    |--H. squamipinnis (Regan 1921) [=Haplochromis squamipinnis; incl. H. mentatus] G80
    |--H. thuragnathus (Greenwood 1967) [=Haplochromis thuragnathus] G80
    |--H. victorianus (Pellegrin 1904) [=Haplochromis victorianus] G80
    `--‘Haplochromis’ worthingtoni Regan 1929 G80

Harpagochromis pectoralis (Boulenger 1911) [=Haplochromis pectoralis non Pfeffer 1893, Haplochromis squamulatus Regan 1922] G80

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[G80] Greenwood, P. H. 1980. Towards a phyletic classification of the ‘genus’ Haplochromis (Pisces, Cichlidae) and related taxa. Part II; the species from Lakes Victoria, Nabugabo, Edward, George and Kivu. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Zoology 39: 1–101.