Xenotilapia burtoni

The species was first described by the Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll in 1951 as Xenotilapia longispinis burtoni, a subspecies of Xenotilapia longispinis, based on specimens collected from Burton Bay during the 1946–1947 hydrobiological exploration of Lake Tanganyika.^[2][3] It was subsequently elevated to full species status. The specific name burtoni refers to Burton Bay, the type locality of the species; the bay itself is named after the British explorer Richard Francis Burton, who reached Lake Tanganyika in 1858.^[2]

Xenotilapia burtoni belongs to the tribe Ectodini, a diverse lineage of Lake Tanganyika cichlids that includes both sand-dwelling and rock-dwelling species. Phylogenetic analyses place Xenotilapia within a benthic clade alongside the genera Asprotilapia, Enantiopus, and Microdontochromis.^[4]

Xenotilapia burtoni can reach a maximum total length of 17.7 centimetres (7.0 in).^[2] Like other members of its genus, it has a streamlined body and a somewhat pointed snout adapted for sifting through substrate.^[3]

The species is known only from its type locality, Burton Bay, on the western (Congolese) shore of Lake Tanganyika.^[2][1] It inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms at an average depth of around 10 metres (33 ft), though specimens have been collected as deep as 40 metres (130 ft).^[2][5] It is considered rare within this already limited range.^[1]

Xenotilapia burtoni is a demersal species that forms schools over sandy or silty substrates.^[2] It feeds primarily on insect larvae and small crustaceans, sifting mouthfuls of sediment to extract prey. Remnants of ostracods and shells have also been found in its diet.^[2][5]