Cat-eLog Right Amphiliidae Right Leptoglaninae Right Zaireichthys  |  | 

Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Zaireichthys monomotapa  Eccles, Tweddle & Skelton, 2011
Common Name
Type Locality Save River in eastern Zimbabwe.
Synonym(s) Zaireichthys rhodesiensis
Pronunciation za eer ICK thiss
Etymology Zaireichthys: From the Zaire river and the Greek ichthys, meaning fish; in reference to the type of the genus and its collection locality. Named after the historical Kingdom of Monomotapa, ‘Monomotapa’ being the old Portuguese spelling. This encompassed the area currently occupied by Mozambique and Zimbabwe and thus almost all of the distribution of this species.
Down Species Information
Size 38mm or 1.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification The majority of species are small and compact, have a defense mechanism of three ossified spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins,being able to lock them into place which makes the genus different from all other Amphiliidae.

Ground color pale brownish, head brownish. A series of darker bars across the dorsal surface of the body, often with paler centres on the lateral parts.About eight dark patches, often elongated, mid-laterally along the flanks, the first below the dorsal fin and the last at the end of the caudal peduncle. A third series of small faint spots ventro-laterally from above the pelvic to the caudal peduncle. Honde River specimens tend to have longer barbels, pectoral- and pelvic-fin rays, and the longest dorsal-fin rays than other populations.
Sexing There is a tendency for the rays of the dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins to be longer in males, although this is only clearly demonstrated in a few instances where large numbers of both sexes have been collected together.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Widespread in the tributaries of the middle and lower Zambezi River, and the Pungwe, Buzi and Save river basins to the south of this, also found in the Lake Malawi basin in the South Rukuru River along with Z. maravensis.
IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018.
Down Husbandry Information
Furniture In nature the majority of species are found over or in sand in flowing rivers. There is one known lake dwelling species from Lake Malawi which is also found over sand and living in snail shells.
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Smithiana, Publications in Aquatic Biodiversity, Bulletin No. 13, pp 16, Figs. 3E, 14-16.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2019 Oct 26 06:40 (species record created: 2011 Sep 23 20:21)