Wallaceochromis rubrolabiatus (Lamboj, 2004)
26-Juli-2016 — New West African cichlid genus described
Von Juan Miguel Artigas Azas
A new genus has been described in the journal Zootaxa by Anton Lamboj, Franzisca Trummer & Bian D. Metscher for three riverine cichlids inhabitants of a relatively small area in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and western parts of Liberia, West Africa. The three included species (W. humilis, W. rubrolabiatus and W. signatus) were previously classified in the genus Pelvicachromis, which differ visually from the new Wallaceochromis in having seven or eight vertical dark bars on the flanks, visible in several behavioral situations, versus no such bars in Pelvicachromis. Previous DNA studies (Using eight nuclear and mitochondrial genes) had shown species in Pelvicachromis to be older than Wallaceochromis species (12.8-29.5 mya versus 3.9–14.8 mya), as well as having a separated common (monophyletic) origin. The new genus is named in honor of Alfred Russel Wallace, who developed a theory of evolution by natural selection at the same time than Charles Darwin.
Lamboj, Anton & F. Trummer, B.D. Metscher. 2016. "Wallaceochromis gen. nov, a new chromidotilapiine cichlid genus (Pisces: Perciformes) from West Africa". Zootaxa. 4144(1):124-130. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4144.1.8 (crc07391) (Kurzfassung)