A systematic revision of the five-spotted Hemichromis complex (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from West Africa and Lower Guinea, with the description of a new species from Cameroon

Preface: advances in cichlid research IV: behavior, ecology, and evolutionary biology

“…Bitja-Nyom et al ( 2021) took an integrative approach, combining morphological and genetic data, to revise the group of five-spotted Hemichromis. Their comprehensive analyses suggest synonymy of Hemichromis frempongi Loiselle, 1979, with Hemichromis fasciatus Peters, 1858, but splitting Hemichromis elongatus (Guichenot, 1861) in two species, H. elongatus and the newly described Hemichromis camerounensis Bitja-Nyom et al (2021), thus clarifying some of the pending questions in this taxonomically notoriously difficult cichlid genus.…”

Morphological variations, length-weight relationships and condition factors of Hemichromis camerounensis (Cichliformes, Cichlidae) in three lakes in northern Cameroon

“…The three populations had several common phenotypic characteristics (two red opercular spots surrounding a large black spot, absence of small black dots between the first three black major spots on the flanks), which should be referred to H. camerounensis [14] (Figure 2).…”

“…In most cases, the inter-population variation is influenced by physico-chemical parameters of aquatic habitats [7][8][9][10] , genetic mutations and natural selection [11,12] or by the bio-geographical history and life history strategies of the populations [13] . The group of five-spotted Hemichromis Peters, 1858 [24] in West Africa and Lower Guinea includes three known species: Hemichromis camerounensis Bitja Nyom et al 2021 [14] is the latest species described recently from the coastal basins in Western Cameroon and in the upper Logone River (Chad basin) in Cameroon. It differs from H. fasciatus Peters 1858 [24] and from H. elongatus (Guichenot, 1861) by many morphological et genetic traits [14] .…”

“…The group of five-spotted Hemichromis Peters, 1858 [24] in West Africa and Lower Guinea includes three known species: Hemichromis camerounensis Bitja Nyom et al 2021 [14] is the latest species described recently from the coastal basins in Western Cameroon and in the upper Logone River (Chad basin) in Cameroon. It differs from H. fasciatus Peters 1858 [24] and from H. elongatus (Guichenot, 1861) by many morphological et genetic traits [14] . Furthermore, H. fasciatus has a large distribution in West Africa (from the Senegal to the Chad basin) while H. elongatus is found in part of Lower Guinea including the coastal rivers of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, and also in a small part of the Cameroonese Congo Basin (Dja) [14] .…”

“…It differs from H. fasciatus Peters 1858 [24] and from H. elongatus (Guichenot, 1861) by many morphological et genetic traits [14] . Furthermore, H. fasciatus has a large distribution in West Africa (from the Senegal to the Chad basin) while H. elongatus is found in part of Lower Guinea including the coastal rivers of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, and also in a small part of the Cameroonese Congo Basin (Dja) [14] . The Adamawa Plateau in northern Cameroon contains eight lakes [15] .…”