Download Haplochromis burtoni – Burton`s Mouthbrooder

Pest fish profiles
Haplochromis burtoni – Burton’s Mouthbrooder
Detailed
information
Synonyms
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Classification
Taxonomic description
Appearance and size
Natural & introduced distribution
Habitat
Diet
Reproduction
Ecological tolerances
Ecological impacts
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Glossary
References
Contact details
Common names:
Burton's haplochromis, Burton's mouthbrooder.
Natural and introduced distribution:
Native to Central East Africa: Burundi, Congo Democratic
Republic, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia. Introduced to Australia.
Synonyms:
Astatotilapia desfountainesi (non Lacepède 1802)
Haplochromis desfontainesi (non Lacepède 1802)
Chromis burtoni (Günther 1894)
Haplochromis burtoni (Günther 1894)
Tilapia burtoni (Günther 1894)
Tilapia nadinae (Borodin 1931)
Habitat:
Inhabits Lake Tanganyika and associated slow streams, rivers and
smaller rift lakes. Prefers vegetated, shallow margins and
temporary shore pools and lagoons which provide suitable sites for
reproduction and protection from predators (Fernald and Hirata
1977).
Classification:
Order Perciformes
Suborder Labroidei
Family Cichlidae
Tribe Tilapiini
Genus Haplochromis
Species burtoni
Diet:
Omnivore - eats aquatic insects and larvae, annelids, other small
invertebrates (rotifers, copepods) and small fish; diet may also
opportunistically include plant material and seeds as well as
diatoms and organic detritus (Janssens de Bisthoven et al. 1990).
Reproduction:
Lekking social system: males establish courtship display territories;
polygynous maternal mouthbrooder.
Taxonomic description:
Dorsal fin: spines 13-15.
Caudal peduncle 1.1 to 1.2 times as long as deep.
Territorial males are aggressive, brightly coloured, sexually mature
and control areas of territory and resources (food). In contrast, nonterritorial males are smaller, less aggressive, camouflage coloured
and similar in appearance to females. They only gain access to food
when mistaken for females. The outcome of male-male agonistic
interactions influence which individuals mature, where changes in
social status influence, via stress response (Fox et al. 1997),
hormone activity which govern development of gonads (Francis et
al. 1993), heightened aggression (White et al. 2002) and growth rate
(Hofmann et al. 1999; Hofmann and Fernald 2000).
Appearance and size:
Grows to 12-15cm TL; fusiform body, oval shape in cross section;
inter- and intra-sexually polymorphic and polychromatic: territorial
males larger than females and non-territorial males.
Territorial males: Brightly coloured - greyish to nearluminescent blue or yellow with lighter marbling and an orange-red
patch above the pectoral fin. Head with several black head
markings including 2 or 3 bars across the forehead, a horizontal bar
extending backward from the eye along the body, and an eye-bar,
variously oriented from the mouth to the eye (head markings may
also be present in incubating females). Dorsal and caudal fins blue
with red spots. Anal fin in male with irregular row of 5-9 large
yellow-orange spots (Fernald and Hirata 1977; Korzan and Fernald
2007).
Mature males aggregate, usually in shallow margins, to form leks
for courtship of females and spawning sites. Territories are
established in shallow water (<30cm), and each covers an area of
approx. 900-1200 square cm. The male digs a shallow spawning
pit, approx. 8-12cm diameter, often under overhanging organic
debris (Fernald and Hirata 1977). Males defend their territory and
engage in complex ritualised fights with neighbouring territorial or
intruding non-territorial males. The outcome of these interactions
is determined by relative persistence of various agonistic
behaviours (Lateral Display, Ramming, Circling, Mouth Pushing,
Fleeing) by each combatant (Mosler 1985).
Non-territorial males, females and juveniles: Cryptically
coloured and similar to females - sandy grey-green and lack an
eyebar or other distinctive markings except for orange anal fin
spots. Juveniles also sandy grey and have several faint, narrow
vertical, and one or two horizontal bars on the body (Voss 1980).
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Pest fish profiles
Haplochromis burtoni – Burton’s Mouthbrooder
The black eye-bar pattern and field of orange-red spots above the
pectoral fins coupled with a head down posture are linked with
male dominance and high levels of attack readiness. These
markings disappear when an animal is defeated or frightened and,
coupled with a head-up posture, indicates submissiveness
(Heiligenberg et al. 1972; Heiligenberg 1976).
Immature females school with non-territorial males. As females
mature and become gravid they begin to show preference for
territorial males. The preference shift is mediated by sex hormones
that may influence perception - to enhance female visual acuity and
ability to differentiate between dominant males (Martin 2004).
Male courtship display consists of the male quivering in front of the
female with the anal fin spread, then leading her toward the pit for
spawning. The female releases her eggs in the pit which are then
fertilised by the male, and then picked up by the female in her
mouth. Alternatively, the female may inhale the male's sperm into
her mouth to fertilise the eggs after she has collected them. The
female then leaves the male territory and establishes an incubating
territory elsewhere (Fernald and Hirata 1977).
Ecological tolerances:
Not well known. The species is tolerant to hypoxia with a lower
critical level of about 8% O2 saturation (Melnychuk and Chapman
2002). The species probably has limited salinity tolerance - salinities
within the species natural habitats range between 0 and 8 ppt
(Caljon 1987; Elieson 2007). Critical thermal and pH tolerances are
not known. According to Elieson (2007), temperatures above
about 29°C are lethal for most Lake Tanganyikan haplochromines.
Natural habitat range for water temperature is 20-29°C and for pH
is 7-9.2 (Fernald and Hirata 1977; Froese and Pauly 2007).
Ecological impacts:
Not known. Australia is the first reported introduction of the
species outside its native range, is relatively recent (~2000) and
established in two locations: Hinze Dam, south-eastern
Queensland and Ross River, Townsville, in northern Queensland.
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Glossary
Acuity
Agonistic
display
Anal
Caudal
Cryptic
Dorsal
Fusiform
Gonad
Clearness, sharpness of vision.
Gravid
Hypoxia
Lekking
Omnivorous
Pectoral
Polychromatic
Polygynous
Polymorphic
The type of display fish make when they threaten with combat.
(Fin) beneath the body, behind anal opening.
Towards the tail.
Hidden.
Situated near to or on the back.
Cigar-shaped: larger in the middle and tapering at both ends.
The sex gland that make sex cells. These are ovaries in the
female and testes in the male.
Pregnant.
An inadequate supply of oxygen to the tissues.
Related to courtship / display arena.
Eating both plant and animal matter.
Situated near the chest, or lower front of the fish.
Having many colours, multicoloured.
Multiple partners.
A species having many different forms.
References
Caljon A.G., 1987. A recently landlocked brackish-water lagoon of Lake Tanganyika: physical and
chemical characteristics, and spatio-temporal distribution of phytoplankton. Hydrobiologia
153(1): 55-70.
Hofmann H.A. and Fernald R.D., 2000. Social status controls somatostatin neuron size and
growth. The Journal of Neuroscience 20(12): 4740-4744.
http://www.cichlid-
Janssens de Bisthoven L., Snoeks J., Olivier F. and Thys van den Audenarde D., 1990. The food of
Haplochromis burtoni (Pisces: Cichlidae) of Lake Mugesera (Rwanda). Belgian Journal of
Zoology 120(1): 37-49.
Fernald R.D. and Hirata N.R., 1977. Field study of Haplochromis burtoni: habitats and co-habitat.
Environmental Biology of Fishes 2(3): 299-308.
Korzan W.J. and Fernald R.D., 2007. Territorial male color predicts agonistic behavior towards
conspecifics. Behavioural Ecology, 18: 318-323.
Fox H.E., White S.A., Kao M.H.F. and Fernald R.D., 1997. Stress and dominance in a social fish.
The Journal of Neuroscience. 17(16): 6463-6469.
Martin J., 2004. Hormonal and physiological profiles of female Haplochromis burtoni as it relates to
affiliative behaviour. Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal 3: 55-61.
Francis R.C., Soma K.K. and Fernald R.D., 1993. Social regulation of the brain-pituitary-gonadal
axis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 90: 7794-7798.
Melnychuk M.C. and Chapman L.J., 2002. Hypoxia tolerance of two haplochromine cichlids:
swamp leakage and potential for interlacustrine dispersal. Environmental Biology of Fishes 65:
99-110.
Elieson M., 2007. The Great Lakes of East Africa. Online:
forum.com/articles/lakes_east_africa.php {Accessed June 1, 2007}.
Froese R. and Pauly D. (Eds.), 2007. FishBase [online] version (01/2007). Available from:
www.fishbase.org {Accessed April 2007}.
Mosler H-J., 1985. Making the decision to continue to fight or to flee. An analysis of contests
between male Haplochromis burtoni (Pisces). Behaviour 92: 129-145.
Heiligenberg W., Kramer U. and Shulz V., 1972. The angular orientation of the black eye-bar in
Haplochromis burtoni (Cichlidae, Pisces) and its relevance to aggressivity. Zeitschrift fuer
Vergleichende Physiologie 76: 168-176.
Voss J., 1980. Color Patterns of African Cichlids. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, NJ, USA.
White S.A., Tuan N. and Fernald R.D., 2002. Social regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
Journal of Experimental Biology 205(17): 2567-2581.
Heiligenberg W., 1976. The interaction of stimulus patterns controlling aggressiveness in the cichlid
fish Haplochromis burtoni. Animal Behaviour 24(2): 452-458.
Hofmann H.A., Benson M.E. and Fernald R.D., 1999. Social status regulates growth rate:
consequences for life history strategies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
96(24): 14171-14176.
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Created by A. Webb, M. Maughan and M. Knott
© ACTFR, James Cook University, 2007
For further information please contact [email protected], tel: 07 4781 4262
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Other information sheets available:
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Oscar – Astronotus ocellatus
Burton’s haplochromis – Haplochromis burtoni
Mosquitofish – Gambusia holbrooki
Guppy – Poecilia reticulates
Swordtail – Xiphophorus helleri
Platy – Xiphophorus maculates
Three-spotted gourami – Thrichogaster trichopterus
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