Taxonomy, ecology and fishery of Lake Victoria haplochromine trophic groups

Abstract

Based on ecological and morphological features, the 300 or more haplochromine cichlid species of Lake Victoria are classified into fifteen (sub)trophic groups. A key to the trophic groups, mainly based on external morphological characters, is presented. Of each trophic group a description is given comprising data on taxonomy, ecology and fishery. As far as possible data from the period before the Nile perch upsurge and from the present situation are compared. A list of described species classified into trophic groups is added.