Heterochromis multidens (Pellegrin, 1900)
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
Heterochromis is a genus of cichlid fish in the order Perciformes. It is the only genus of the subfamily Heterochromidinae, and contains a single species, Heterochromis multidens, which is endemic to the Congo River Basin in Central Africa. The relationships of Heterochromis to other cichlids have long been controversial, with several morphological features suggesting that it is more closely related to American cichlids than to other African species. Molecular studies have given contradictory results. The most comprehensive analysis done to date found more support for relationship to African cichlids, but could not conclusively reject a relationship to the American clade.
It can reach a total length of 29.5 cm (11.6 in). This species is probably a substrate spawner and in older males a hump may develop on the head.
Wikipedia contributors, Heterochromis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:47:45.723293+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Heterochromis multidens (Pellegrin, 1900)
- Name authority
- (Pellegrin, 1900)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Genus
- Heterochromis
- 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
- genusHeterochromis Regan, 1922
- speciesHeterochromis multidens (Pellegrin, 1900)
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pelmatochromis polyodon Boulenger, 1902 Boulenger, 1902 | synonym |
| Pelmatochromis multidens (Pellegrin, 1900) (Pellegrin, 1900) | synonym |
| Paratilapia habereri Steindachner, 1912 Steindachner, 1912 | synonym |
| Paratilapia xenodon Nichols & Griscom, 1917 Nichols & Griscom, 1917 | synonym |
| Paratilapia multidens Pellegrin, 1900 Pellegrin, 1900 | synonym |
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.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1017102 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:3L8GV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.