Orthochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899)
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
Orthochromis polyacanthus is a species of cichlid native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, where it is known from the lower Congo River rapids near Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool) and the upper Congo River basin from the Kisangani area to the Lake Mweru basin. This species can reach a length of 11.8 centimetres (4.6 in) SL.
Wikipedia contributors, Orthochromis polyacanthus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:26:59.240682+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Orthochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899)
- Name authority
- (Boulenger, 1899)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Genus
- Orthochromis
- 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
- genusOrthochromis Greenwood, 1954
- speciesOrthochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Orthochromis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Orthochromis rugufuensis De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis kasuluensis De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis rubrolabialis De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis uvinzae De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis luongoensis (Greenwood & Kullander, 1994) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis machadoi (Poll, 1967) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis malagaraziensis (David, 1937) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis mazimeroensis De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis mosoensis De Vos & Seegers, 1998 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis mporokoso Schedel, Vreven, Katemo Manda, Abwe, Chocha Manda & Schliewen, 2018 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis katumbii Schedel, Vreven, Katemo Manda, Abwe, Chocha Manda & Schliewen, 2018 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orthochromis gecki Schedel, Vreven, Katemo Manda, Abwe, Chocha Manda & Schliewen, 2018 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Haplochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
| Tilapia polyacanthus Boulenger, 1899 Boulenger, 1899 | synonym |
| Rheohaplochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
| Schwetzochromis polyacanthus (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | 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=1019091 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:75967. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.