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An Article by George J. Reclos

Part I : Non-mbuna Malawi Cichlids. Color Code: Violet=Genera,  Green=Latin (non-Greek) part of the Scientific name,  Light blue=Greek part of the name, English translation of this part. Dr. Michael K. Oliver, biologist, with a Ph.D. on the taxonomy of African Cichlids of Lake Malawi kindly commented on the initial list, which was sent to him before publishing. I think it will help the reader to see his comments as compared to the initial interpretation of the scientific names. It goes without saying that in all cases, Dr. Oliver's interpretation is the correct one (yellow color). The author wishes to thank him once more for his time and kindness. If the Genus name contains Greek words, the translation is shown next to the Genus name. The same translation is not repeated next to species names. Therefore, to get a complete picture the reader should combine the two translations. For example: Aulonocara macrochir the reader must combine the translation of the genus (Aulos=music organ made by pipes + cara=head) with that of the species (Macros=long + chir=hand).

Alticorpus Alticorpus macrocleithrum (macro=big; long + cleithrum=key) (Alticorpus) macrocleithrum: long key, yes; the -cleithrum part refers directly to the large bone of the pectoral girdle that is called the cleithrum; this is the paired bone whose tips protrude downward from the ventral outline of the body in this peculiar species. Aristochromis (Ariston=excellent + chromis=colored) Genera based on -chromis: Although true that chromis means colored, when used in a cichlid name, this probably refers more directly to the fish genus Chromis, a reef fish genus with many, many species in the family Pomacentridae. Early taxonomists who named cichlids were reminded of the genus Chromis by the appearance of the cichlids, and now very many cichlid genera are compounds of -chromis. Aulonocara (Aulos=music organ made by pipes + cara=head) Aulonocara macrochir (Macros=long + chir=hand) Aulonocara trematocephala (trema=hole + cephalic=head) Buccochromis (chromis=colored) Buccochromis atritaeniatus (taeniatus=with a stripe) Buccochromis heterotaenia (hetero=other + taenia=stripe) Buccochromis lepturus  (leptos=thin + ura=tail) Buccochromis nototaenia  (taenia=stripe) (Buccochromis) nototaenia: the noto- part is from Greek too, notos, the back, the dorsum. This fish has a stripe on its back (like so many Malawi cichlids!). Caprichromis (chromis=colored) Caprichromis orthognathus (ortho=standing; erected + gnathus=jaw) Champsochromis (chromis=colored) Champsochromis: The Champso- is from Greek champsos, crocodile. This is a genus of voracious predators with jaws resembling those of a crocodile Champsochromis spilorhynchus (spilos=dots + rhynchus=snout) Cheilochromis (Cheilos=lips + chromis=colored) Cheilochromis euchilus (cheilos=lips + chromis=colored + eu=well shaped + chilus=lips)notus (chryso=golden) Copadichromis conophoros (conos=cone + phoros=carrying) Copadichromis cyaneus (cyanus=blue) Copadichromis cyclicos (cyclicos=circular) Copadichromis eucinostomus (eucinos=flexible + stomus=mouth) Copadichromis pleurostigma (pleuro=side + stigma=dot) Copadichromis pleurostigmoides (pleuro=side + stigmomides=dot like) Corematodus (odus=tooth) Corematodus: The Coremat- is from Greek korema, korematos, a broom; the taxonomist imagined the teeth to function like a broom. Corematodus taeniatus (taeniatus=with stripe) Ctenopharynx (cteno=comb + pharynx=throat) Cyrtocara (cyrto=rounded + cara=head) Dimidiochromis (chromis=colored) Diplotaxodon (Diplo=double + taxo=class, rank +odon=tooth) Diplotaxodon aeneus  (aeneus=eternal) (Diplotaxodon) aeneus: Like most uses of aeneus or aeneo- in fish names, this is intended to mean brassy in color, from Latin aeneus = of brass, of copper. Diplotaxodon apogon (a=without + pogon=chin) Eclectochromis (eclecto=to be chosen, oustanding + chromis=colored) Eclectochromis lobochilus (lobos=lobe + chilus=lips) Exochochromis (exocho=outstanding, excellent + chromis=colored) Exochochromis anagenys (anagenys=born, created again) (Exochochromis) anagenys: Again, anagenys is one of Dr.Oliver's names. He coined the name from Greek ana- (back, again) plus Greek genys (chin, jaw, cheek), intending it to mean with a back(ward) chin, with its chin moved back from the usual place. This distinctive species has a lower jaw whose tip fits behind the upper jaw when the mouth is closed -- very unusual. (Names like this are what happens when you give an American a few books of classical words!) Fossorochromis (chromis=colored) Hemitaeniochromis (hemi=half + taenia=stripe + chromis=colored) Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia (uro=tail + taenia=stripe) Hemitilapia (Hemi=half) Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus (oxy=sharp angle + rhynchus=snout Lethrinops Lethrinops leptodon (leptos=thin + odon=tooth) Lethrinops macracanthus (macros=long + acanthus=sting) (Lethrinops) macracanthus: a better translation of acanthus here is spine (refers to the long anal-fin spines of this species). Lethrinops macrochir (macros=long + chir=hand) Lethrinops macrophthalmus (macros=long + opthalmus=eye) Lethrinops microdon (micros=small + odon=tooth) Lethrinops microstoma (micro=small + stoma=mouth) Lichnochromis (lichno=oil lamp + chromis=colored) Maravichromis (chromis=colored) Mylochromis (mylos=mill + chromis=colored) Mylochromis ericotaenia (taenia=stripe) Mylochromis labidodon (labido=pincer-shaped + odon=tooth) Mylochromis melanotaenia  (melano=black + taenia=stripe) Mylochromis plagiotaenia (plagio=at an angle + taenia=stripe) Mylochromis sphaerodon (sphaera=sphere + odon=tooth) Naevochromis (chromis=colored) Naevochromis chrysogaster (chryso=gold + gaster=belly) Nimbochromis (chromis=colored) Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus (fusco=bubble, ballon + taenia=stripe) (Nimbochromis) fuscotaeniatus: Dr. Oliver thinks the fusco- is from Latin fuscus= dusky, dark, swarthy; a dusky-banded fish. Nimbochromis polystigma (poly=many + stigma=dots) Nyassachromis (chromis=colored) Nyassachromis leuciscus (leuciscus=whitish) Nyassachromis microcephalus (micro=small + cephalus=head) Nyassachromis nigritaeniatus (taeniatus=with stripe) Nyassachromis serenus (serenus=siren) (Nyassachromis) serenus: serenus is pure Latin, =bright, clear. Otopharynx (Oto=Ear + pharynx=throat) Otopharynx argyrosoma (argyro=silver + soma=body) Otopharynx heterodon (hetero=other, different + odon=tooth) Otopharynx lithobates (litho=stone + bates=walker) (Otopharynx) lithobates: another of Dr.Oliver's species names; he meant -bates to mean one who frequents, one who haunts; this is one of the few non-mbuna "haps" that is found on rocky shores. "Stone-walker" is too literal a translation. I think of this one as the haunter of the stones. Otopharynx selenurus (urus=tail) Otopharynx tetraspilus (tetra=four + spilus=dot) Otopharynx tetrastigma (tetra=four + stigma=points, dots) Pallidochromis (chromis=colored) Placidochromis (placido=flat stone + chromis=colored) Placidochromis: Dr.Oliver is sure this genus is from Latin placidus=quiet, still, gentle; not from Greek plax, plakos, a stone tablet. This genus contains "gentle," non-predatory cichlids. Placidochromis electra (electra=amber, electric) Placidochromis macrognathus (macro=long + gnathus=jaw) Placidochromis phenochilus (pheno=obvious, showing + chilus=lips) Platygnathochromis (platy=wide + gnatho=jaw + chromis=colored) Platygnathochromis melanonotus (melano=black, blachish) Protomelas (Proto=first + melas=black) Protomelas kirkii (Kirki=Ancient Greek witch) (Protomelas) kirkii: "ancient Greek witch" would make a wonderful name, but this is simply a patronym Protomelas macrodon (macros=long + odon=tooth) Protomelas pleurotaenia (pleuro=side + taenia=stripe) Protomelas spilopterus (spilos=dot + pterus=wing) Protomelas taeniolatus (taenia=stripe) Protomelas triaenodon (triaena=three point harpoon) Rhamphochromis (Rhamphos=beak + chromis=colored) Rhamphochromis leptosoma (lepto=thin + soma=body) Rhamphochromis macrophthalmus (macro=long + ophthalmus=eye) Sciaenochromis (chromis=colored) Sciaenochromis psammophilus (psammos=sand + philus=friend) Sciaenochromis spilostichus (spilos=dot + stichos=line) Stigmatochromis (stigmato=points, dots + chromis=colored) (Stigmatochromis) pholidophorus: Trewavas almost certainly named this fish because of its resemblance to an extinct fossil fish genus, This, in turn, would have been named from pholis, pholidos=scale, spot, fleck; and -pher, -phor, from phero, bear or carry. Stigmatochromis pholidophorus (pholis=scale + phoreus=carrying) Stigmatochromis pleurospilus (pleuro=side + spilos=dot) Taeniochromis (taenio=stripe + chromis=colored) Taeniochromis holotaenia (holo=whole + taenia=stripe) Taeniolethrinops (taenio=stripe) Taeniolethrinops cyrtonotus (cyrto=rounded) Tramitichromis (chromis=colored) Tramitichromis trilineata (tri=three) Trematocranus (tremato=hole + cranos=helmet) Trematocranus microstoma (micro=small + stoma=mouth) Trematocranus placodon (placo=flat stone + odon=tooth) Tyrannochromis (Tyranno=tyran + chromis=colored) Tyrannochromis macrostoma (macro=long + stoma=mouth) Tyrannochromis polyodon (poly=many + odon=tooth) Continued in next page (Mbuna)

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