Gephyrochromis lawsi Fryer, 1957
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Gephyrochromis lawsi is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is endemic to the northern part of Lake Malawi in Malawi and Tanzania. This species is normally found at deep levels, where the steep, rocky coastlines meet sand substrates. It prefers patches of sand at average depths of around 20 metres (66 ft). They feed mainly on loose aufwuchs. The males are weakly territorial and will defend their territories against intruders, while the females are solitary.
It may be threatened by overfishing by fishermen using beach seine nets, although it is a bycatch rather than one of the target species. It is sometimes collected for the aquarium trade.
The specific name honours the Scottish missionary Robert Laws (1851–1934).
Wikipedia contributors, Gephyrochromis lawsi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:36:08.906923+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Gephyrochromis lawsi Fryer, 1957
- Name authority
- Fryer, 1957
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Genus
- Gephyrochromis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCichliformes
- familyCichlidae Bonaparte, 1835
- subfamilyPseudocrenilabrinae Fowler, 1934
- genusGephyrochromis Boulenger, 1901
- speciesGephyrochromis lawsi Fryer, 1957
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Gephyrochromis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Gephyrochromis moorii Boulenger, 1901 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Fryer, G. (1957). A new species of Gephyrochromis (Pisces: Cichlidae) from Lake Nyasa, with notes on its ecology and affinities. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines, 55 (3–4): 347–352. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3FTRQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.