Sarotherodon linnellii

Sarotherodon linnellii, sometimes known as the unga,[2] blackfin tilapia or blackbelly tilapia, is a cichlid endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in western Cameroon. This species reaches a length of 18.5 centimetres (7.3 in) SL.[3] It is critically endangered because of pollution and sedimentation due to human activities. It is potentially also threatened by large emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the lake's bottom (compare Lake Nyos),[1] although studies indicate that Barombo Mbo lacks excess amounts of this gas.[4]

Sarotherodon linnellii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Sarotherodon
Species:
S. linnellii
Binomial name
Sarotherodon linnellii
(Lönnberg, 1903)
Synonyms
  • Tilapia linnellii Lönnberg, 1903

Juveniles mainly feed on insects (including their larvae) and adults mainly on phytoplankton.[3]

The specific name honours a friend of Lönnberg’s, Gunnar Linnell, a Swede who owned a plantation in Cameroon and who sent a collection of fishes and crustaceans from there which included the type of this fish.[5]

References

  1. Moelants, T. (2010). "Sarotherodon linnellii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T19909A9110008. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T19909A9110008.en.
  2. Manci, William E. (2001). "Unga". Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World, Volume 12, Umb-Zor. New York: Marshall Cavendish. p. 1592. ISBN 978-0-7614-7206-3.
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Sarotherodon linnellii" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
  4. Freeth, S.J.; C.O. Ofoegbu; and K.M. Onuoha (1992). Natural Hazards in West and Central Africa, pp. 50—51. ISBN 978-3-663-05239-5
  5. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (25 September 2018). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (p-y)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 9 February 2019.


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