Xenochromis
Genus of fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xenochromis hecqui is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It is mainly found at depths of 6–100 m (20–328 ft),[2] but has been recorded somewhat deeper, even in waters virtually devoid of oxygen.[3] This species is a scale eater, consuming the scales off of other fishes, but will also feed on copepods.[2] It can reach a total length of up to 30 cm (12 in). Currently it is the only known member of its genus.[2]
| Xenochromis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration from Boulenger's species description (1899) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Xenochromis Boulenger, 1899 |
| Species: | X. hecqui |
| Binomial name | |
| Xenochromis hecqui Boulenger, 1899 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Its specific name honours the Belgian Lieutenant Célestin Hecq (1859–1910), a member of the Belgian colonial forces fighting the slave trade who collected the type of this species.[4]