''Paretroplus gymnopreopercularis'' is a species of

cichlid Cichlids () are a large, diverse, and widespread family of percomorph fish in the family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families, with on ...

from the vicinity of the confluence of the Amboaboa and Mangarahara Rivers near Mandritsara in northern

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

.Sparks, J. S. (2008). ''Phylogeny of the Cichlid Subfamily Etroplinae and Taxonomic Revision of the Malagasy Cichlid Genus Paretroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae).'' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Number 314 :1–151 Until its official

scientific description A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it diffe ...

in 2008, it was temporarily known as the ''Paretroplus'' nov. sp. "sofia". It is

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

because of

habitat degradation Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

, overfishing and

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

. Following the construction of a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the Mangarahara River, surveys have failed to relocate ''P. gymnopreopercularis'' in this river. This relatively elongate ''

Paretroplus ''Paretroplus'' is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island.Sparks, J. S. (2008). ''Phylogeny of t ...

'' reaches about in length and is closely related to '' P. kieneri'', which it resembles. '' P. nourissati'' is found in the same region as ''P. gymnopreopercularis'', but the latter appears to be restricted to deeper pools in the river (the former is from shallow, fast-flowing sections). The member of another cichlid genus, '' Ptychochromis insolitus'', is also restricted to the region.Stiassny, M., and Sparks, J. S. (2006). ''Phylogeny and Taxonomic Revision of the Endemic Malagasy Genus Ptychochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with the Description of Five New Species and a Diagnosis for Katria, New Genus.''

American Museum Novitates ''American Museum Novitates'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Museum of Natural History. It was established in 1921. According to the ''Journal Citation Reports'', the journal has a 2013 impact factor The impact ...

3535. Its habitat is shallow, clear rivers with a fast current and many areas of small waterfalls and riffles, normally with a rocky river bed, with many boulders, with sandy area mixed in. This species shows a preference for deeper, more isolated pools.

References

gymnopreopercularis Cichlid fish of Africa Freshwater fish of Madagascar Fish described in 2008 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cichlidae-stub