Animalia Life
Teleogramma gracile
FAMILY
Cichlidae
TAXONOMY
Teleogramma gracile Boulenger, 1899, Matadi, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Africa.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Maximum length 3.2 in (8 cm). Very elongate, cigar shaped;
teeth small and unicuspid, with a few enlarged canines anteriorly.
Uncharacteristically for cichlids, has single, continuous
row of lateral line scales, instead of upper and lower divisions.
Brownish in color, with thin red margin to dorsal fin and upper
lobe of caudal fin. Females exhibit broad black margin
above red patch in upper lobe of caudal fin.
DISTRIBUTION
Lower Congo River rapids.
HABITAT
Turbid, fast-flowing waters in lower Congo.
BEHAVIOR
Displays extreme territoriality toward conspecifics in aquaria.
Hides under rocks and in caves.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on aquatic macroinvertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Spawns in caves, female tends to eggs. Polygynous.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Very rarely exported for the aquarium trade.
Photo Gallery of - Worm cichlid
