Metriaclima zebra (Boulenger)

Stauffer Jr, Jay R., Black, Kristin & Konings, Adrianus F., 2013, Descriptions of five new species of Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi, Africa, Zootaxa 3647 (1), pp. 101-136 : 104-106

Metriaclima zebra (Boulenger)

Figs. 2A & B

Holotype. BMNH 1891.12.17.7, holotype, male, 83.7 mm SL, Malawi: "Lake Nyassa", M.E. Woodward, 1891.

Other material. PSU 10632, 10, 70.3–86.0 mm SL, Malawi, Likoma Island, Madimba, 12° 3.708’ S, 34° 44.746’ E, Konings & Stauffer Jr., 11 Jan 2008. PSU 10633, 10, 73.0– 92.1 mm SL, Malawi, Likoma Island, White Rock, 12° 4.133’ S, 34° 44.559’E, Konings & Stauffer Jr., 11 Jan 2008. PSU 10681, 5, 70.8–80.4 mm SL, Malawi, Likoma Island, Membe Point, 12° 03.514' S, 34° 45.148' E, Konings, Stauffer Jr. & Kocher, 3 Feb 2005. PSU 10680, 3, 68.9–75.5 mm SL, Malawi, Likoma Island, Maingano Island, 12° 02.621' S, 34° 45.366' E.

......continued on the next page A morphological description of M. zebra has been given by Konings & Stauffer (2006). A multivariate analysis of morphometric and meristic data of the holotype and four populations of M. zebra from Likoma Island ( Table 1 ; Fig. 3 ) shows that the holotype is morphologically indistinguishable from the population at Madimba. Although, morphologically, the holotype was also congruent with M. zebra from nearby Chizumulu Island (data not shown), it is improbable that the holotype was collected there. M. zebra from Chizumulu Island either have a blue snout without black interorbital stripes (often referred to as “blaze”) or have an entirely light-colored body without lateral bars whereas the holotype has dark interorbital stripes on the snout and has distinct bars, similar to freshly collected M. zebra from Likoma Island.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Plot of the first principal component of the meristic data (PC 1) and the sheared second principal component of the morphometric data (PC 2) of M. zebra holotype, and from four populations of M. zebra around Likoma Island. The cross indicates the position of the University Mission of Central Africa in 1891 when the holotype was collected by one of its missionaries.

FIGURE 2. A. Metriaclima zebra, holotype, BMNH 1891.12. 17.7, 83.7 mm SL, Malawi: " Lake Nyassa "; B. M. zebra, male in breeding coloration (approx. 85 mm SL) at Madimba, Likoma Island, Malawi; C. M. zebra, male (approx. 70 mm SL) Makonde, Tanzania.

Tables

TABLE 1. Morphometric and meristic data for Metriaclima zebra; holotype, our collections from Likoma Island (Madimba (n = 10), White Rock (n = 10), Membe Point (n = 5), and Maingano Island (n = 3). Ranges include the holotype. An asterisk indicates a character not determined in that particular series.

	Holotype	Mean	Madimba range	White Rock range	Maingano Range	Membe Point range
Standard length, mm Head length, mm	83.7 26.8	78.8 25.4	70.3–86.0 21.8–27.1	73.0–92.1 23.8–30.0	68.9–75.5 21.8–23.8	70.8–80.4 21.0–25.0
Percent standard length
Head length Body depth Snout to dorsal	32.1 38.5 33.1	32.2 37.3 35.0	30.5–33.1 35.5–38.8 31.6–37.1	31.1–34.7 36.7–40.8 33.1–36.4	31.5–32.6 36.5–38.7 33.7–36.6	29.7–31.4 35.1–37.6 31.8–33.5
Snout to pelvic Dorsal–fin base length Anterior dorsal to anterior anal Anterior dorsal to posterior anal Posterior dorsal to anterior anal Posterior dorsal to posterior anal	45.2 57.3 51.2 61.0 31.2 17.5	38.8 61.6 52.3 65.4 32.2 17.4	37.8–41.7 60.5–64.7 53.1–57.6 64.8–66.8 30.3–34.3 15.4–17.3	40.3–43.4 59.9–63.9 53.6–58.3 61.3–65.7 30.2–33.7 15.0–17.2	38.9–42.2 60.2–63.4 53.5–54.6 65.0–66.4 32.1–32.7 16.4–17.0	38.7–41.7 60.8–63.1 53.8–56.4 63.8–67.8 31.7–32.3 14.6–16.5