Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Rubricatochromis: Name from rubricatus, Latin for red coloured, refers to the bright red colouration on body of most species when in dominance or broodcare; and chromis, a common ending for African cichlid fishes (Ref. 128620); paynei: This species is named in honor of Dr. Ian A. Payne, in recognition of his interest in the systematics and ecology of hemichromid cichlids in Sierra Leone (Ref. 43352).
Eponymy: Ian A Payne, who collected the catfish holotype, was a fisheries biologist at the Zoology Department, Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone (1975) and at Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Science, [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: coastal basins in southeastern Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia (Ref. 43352, 52307).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52307)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8. Diagnosis: A small Hemichromis characterized by a small mouth and moderately protractile premaxilla, an extensive, stochastically distributed pattern of blue spangling on the head and flanks, a round black lateral spot located above the midlateral line, a rather short snout, 7.8-10.8% of standard length, moderately wide interorbital distance, 9.6-11.8% of standard length, deep caudal peduncle, 17.6-19.8% of standard length, and a strongly sagittiform, heavily dentigerous lower pharyngeal bone with 20-24 teeth along its posterior margin; lower pharyngeal dentition crested, with a major cusp and a rounded shoulder with two or three distinct serrations evident, both the postero-laterals and medians bulbous and enlarged (Ref. 43352).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Hemichromis paynei is found mainly in coastal areas (Ref. 52307). All specimens referred to as Hemichromis paynei in aquarist publications before 2004 do not actually belong to this species; they have definitely been misidentified (Ref. 52307).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lamboj, A. and S. Koblmüller, 2022. Molecular phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the cichlid genus Hemichromis (Teleostei, Cichliformes, Cichlidae), with description of a new genus and revalidation of H. angolensis. Hydrobiologia (2022):1-22. (Ref. 128620)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5020 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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