''Hemichromis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of fishes from the

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted th ...

family, known in the aquarium trade as jewel cichlids. Jewel cichlids are native to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Within

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mau ...

, ''Hemichromis'' species are found in creeks, streams, rivers and lakes with a variety of water qualities including brackish water lagoons. Maximum size reported for the different species of ''Hemichromis'' ranges from in total length. Maximum sizes in aquaria tend to be slightly smaller than in the wild. Many ''Hemichromis'' species are brightly coloured, though brighter body colouration is generally evident during breeding.

Sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

is limited, though male jewel cichlids are typically more brightly coloured and in some species have more pointed anal, ventral and dorsal

fins A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. F ...

. In some species, such as ''Hemichromis cristatus'', the females can have coloring as bright as the males. Like most cichlids, jewel cichlids have highly developed brood care. ''Hemichromis'' species typically form

monogamous Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time ( serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyg ...

breeding pairs and the female spawns on a flat surface such as a leaf or stone. Both parents guard the eggs, and participate in fry raising.

Taxonomy

This genus consists of two distinct groups that possibly should be moved into separate genera. The first group, the so-called five-spotted cichlids (including ''H. elongatus'', ''H. faciatus'' and ''H. frempongi''), would remain in the genus ''Hemichromis'', while the rest, the true jewel cichlids, would be moved to their own genus. The species level

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of this genus is not fully resolved. Although some of the localized species are well-defined, this is not the case for all the more widespread species and there are several distinct color forms of unclear taxonomic status. For example, ''H. faciatus'' of the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

basin and those in West Africa may belong to separate species, but ''H. frempongi'' of

Lake Bosumtwi Lake Bosumtwi is the only natural lake in Ghana. It is situated within an ancient impact crater that is about in diameter. It is about south-east of Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti, and is a popular recreational area. There are about 30 village ...

might be a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

of ''H. fasciatus''. ''H. elongatus'' of the

Congo River basin The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...

and upper

Zambezi The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

may represent a species that is distinct from ''H. faciatus'' elsewhere, and "dwarf" populations in lakes Barombi Koto and Mboandong may also be distinct. In the Nile delta, there appear to be two morphologically distinct populations that traditionally have been included in, but might be separate from, ''H. letourneuxi'' elsewhere in the Nile system. A comprehensive study of the genus also points to the existence of two

undescribed species In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon (for example, a species) that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and name ...

of jewel cichlids in the Guinea region. ''H. saharae'' was generally considered a synonym of ''H. letourneuxi'' until 2014 where a genetic study confirmed its distinction, although some have opted to retain the two as a single species. The taxonomic confusion in this genus has been further complicated by fish in the aquarium trade, where there have been frequent misidentification, hybridization between species and

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant ma ...

. For example, the introduced population in Florida, which is based on aquarium fish, was identified as ''H. bimaculatus'' up until the 1990s, but likely are ''H. letourneuxi'' or hybrids. A similar pattern can be seen in introduced populations elsewhere that traditionally were identified as ''H. bimaculatus'', but likely are other species, especially ''H. letourneuxi''.

Species

There are currently 13 recognized species in this genus:Bitja-Nyom, Arnold Roger, et al. "A systematic revision of the five-spotted Hemichromis complex (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from West Africa and Lower Guinea, with the description of a new species from Cameroon." ''Hydrobiologia'' (2021): 1-25. * '' Hemichromis angolensis'' Steindachner, 1865 * '' Hemichromis bimaculatus'' T. N. Gill, 1862 (Jewelfish) *'' Hemichromis camerounensis'' *'' Hemichromis cerasogaster'' ( Boulenger, 1899) * '' Hemichromis elongatus'' ( Guichenot, 1861) (Banded jewel cichlid) * '' Hemichromis exsul'' ( Trewavas, 1933) (Turkana jewel cichlid) * '' Hemichromis fasciatus'' W. K. H. Peters, 1857 (Banded jewelfish, five-spot cichlid) * '' Hemichromis frempongi'' Loiselle, 1979 * '' Hemichromis guttatus'' Günther, 1862 * ''

Hemichromis letourneuxi ''Hemichromis letourneuxi'' is a species of cichlid which is native to West Africa and is popular in the aquarium hobby and it has been introduced to the Caribbean and the south-east United States where it is invasive. Description ''Hemichromis ...

Sauvage Sauvage, French for "savage" may refer to: ; as a surname: * Catherine Sauvage (1929–1998), a French singer and actress * Cyrille Sauvage (born 1973), a French racing driver * Frédéric Sauvage (1786–1857), a French boat builder who carried ...

, 1880 * ''

Hemichromis lifalili ''Hemichromis lifalili'', common name blood-red jewel cichlid, is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. Description ''Hemichromis lifalili'' can grow up to long. They are red-orange or bright red with rows of small blue spots all over the ...

'' Loiselle, 1979 * '' Hemichromis saharae''

, 1880 * '' Hemichromis stellifer'' Loiselle, 1979

Aquarium care

Jewel cichlids are neither suited to beginners, nor the usual community tank. Several young specimens may be kept in a spacious aquarium, with stones and wood for cover until a pair forms prior to breeding. Their innate aggression makes them good candidates for keeping in a monospecies aquarium, however this depends on a number of factors similar to all tropical cichlid fish; swimming and territory space, other aquatic inhabitants, diet and feeding frequency and tank layout. Jewel cichlids are omnivorous and will eat both live foods and fish flakes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q135592 Hemichromini Hemichromis Fishkeeping Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters ru:Хемихромис-красавец

Taxonomy

Species

Aquarium care

See also

References