Paratilapia Polleni - Morphology

Morphology

P. polleni is a laterally compressed full-bodied fish. Like most cichlids it resembles a perch-type fish in shape, hence the taxonomic designation perciformes - 'perch-like'. Males in captivity will develop a nuchal hump, a layer of fat above the eyes, though not to the same degree as other similar African cichlids, such as the Cyphotilapia frontosa and Tilapias of Africa. Adult P. polleni, and sub-adult dominant individuals are jet black in color, covered with brilliant iridescent spots which shift from golden to blue depending on the movement of the fish and the angle of the light, the eye is a bright yellow. The male P. polleni can reach almost 28 centimetres (11 in) TL in length; females usually half that length. Sexing individuals thus becomes easier as they mature. In addition, males tend to have longer and sharper pelvic fins, and the edge of the dorsal and anal fins are often straighter in males, and more 'rounded' in females. Among aquarists it is often said that the females, though smaller are more beautiful in their coloration patterning. There are two color varieties of the P. polleni; the 'large spot' and the 'small spot'. Adults of both sexes display the strongest coloration during courtship and spawning. Among cichlid enthusiasts there is some confusion as to the names of these two varieties, with large spot individuals sometimes being erroneously referred to by the junior synonym P. bleekeri. Juveniles with a length of less than 3 cm (1 in) are dull brown.