A new species of the genus Neolamprologus (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Tanganyika.

Abstract

Lake Tanganyika harbours an exceptionally diverse fauna of cichlids that has arisen through explosive adaptive radiation. During a recent survey at Kasenga and Kombe, Zambia, we discovered an undescribed species of the genus Neolamprologus. The new species is readily distinguished from its congeners by its uniquely developed upper lip, which protrudes conspicuously beyond the lower lip, along with several additional morphological characters. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene showed that specimens of the new species were not recovered as monophyletic; instead, they formed a clade together with Neolamprologus mustax. Nevertheless, the new species is morphologically clearly distinct from N. mustax despite their sympatric occurrence. This discovery highlights the still underestimated diversity of cichlids in Lake Tanganyika and underscores the importance of documenting its fauna in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures on the lake's ecosystem.