Turner George F
School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
Vertebrates Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
J Fish Biol. 2025 Apr;106(4):1124-1133. doi: 10.1111/jfb.16014. Epub 2024 Dec 10.
Two new species of Mylochromis Regan 1920 are described from specimens collected on shallow rocky habitats on the northwestern coast of Lake Malawi. The generic designation is based on their prominent oblique-striped pattern and lack of any of the unique features of other Malawi cichlid genera with this pattern. Mylochromis rotundus sp. nov. is distinguished from most congeneric species by its relatively deep, rounded body and lack of enlarged pharyngeal teeth. It is further distinguished from Mylochromis semipalatus and Mylochromis melanonotus (if they are different species) by its relatively shorter snout. Mylochromis durophagus sp. nov. is distinguished from most congeneric species by its strongly molarized pharyngeal dentition. It differs from Mylochromis mola by having a shorter snout, a less acutely pointed head profile, a deeper body, and a more continuous oblique stripe. M. durophagus has a much less steep head profile than Mylochromis anaphyrmus or Mylochromis sphaerodon. It is suggested that M. rotundus was previously identified informally as Mylochromis sp. "mollis north," and M. durophagus as Mylochromis sp. "mollis chitande." Lectotypes are designated for comparator species M. sphaerodon and Mylochromis subocularis.
依据在马拉维湖北部海岸浅岩石栖息地采集的标本,描述了丽体鱼属(Mylochromis Regan 1920)的两个新物种。该属的命名基于它们显著的斜条纹图案,且缺乏具有此图案的其他马拉维丽鱼科属的任何独特特征。圆丽体鱼(Mylochromis rotundus sp. nov.)与大多数同属物种的区别在于其相对较深且圆润的身体以及没有增大的咽齿。它与半腭丽体鱼(Mylochromis semipalatus)和黑背丽体鱼(Mylochromis melanonotus)(如果它们是不同物种)的进一步区别在于其吻部相对较短。食硬丽体鱼(Mylochromis durophagus sp. nov.)与大多数同属物种的区别在于其强烈磨盘状的咽齿列。它与磨盘丽体鱼(Mylochromis mola)的不同之处在于吻部较短、头部轮廓不那么尖锐、身体更深以及斜条纹更连续。食硬丽体鱼的头部轮廓比无鳃丽体鱼(Mylochromis anaphyrmus)或球齿丽体鱼(Mylochromis sphaerodon)平缓得多。据推测,圆丽体鱼此前被非正式鉴定为丽体鱼属“软鳞北部种”(Mylochromis sp. "mollis north"),食硬丽体鱼被鉴定为丽体鱼属“软鳞奇坦德种”(Mylochromis sp. "mollis chitande")。指定了球齿丽体鱼(M. sphaerodon)和眼下丽体鱼(Mylochromis subocularis)作为比较物种的选模标本。