Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Corematodus shiranus (Corematodus shiranus), recorded as Critically Endangered
Corematodus shiranus (Corematodus shiranus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Corematodus shiranus

Corematodus shiranus

Corematodus shiranus is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes), recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Corematodus shiranus
Taxonomy
Perciformes · Cichlidae · Corematodus

Appearance

It is an aggressive mimic of the chambo cichlids (Nyasalapia, a subgenus of Oreochromis) in both color pattern and swimming mode. It is therefore able to approach unsuspecting schools of these species and rapidly take a mouthful of scales or fin.

Range and habitat

Corematodus shiranus is a haplochromine cichlid fish native to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the upper reaches of the Shire River in East Africa.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

Cichlids defend a territory or a brood. Diet in the family runs from algae scrapers to piscivores; this page does not invent a menu for one species.

In crisis

Due to overfishing, the chambo cichlid populations have drastically declined, adversely affecting C. Shiranus, that was last reported in 1997 and might now be extinct.

Corematodus shiranus is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Corematodus shiranus, Wikidata item Q2700776. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Quick answers

What is Corematodus shiranus?
Corematodus shiranus is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes).
What is the conservation status of Corematodus shiranus?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Corematodus shiranus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Corematodus shiranus live?
Corematodus shiranus is a haplochromine cichlid fish native to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the upper reaches of the Shire River in East Africa.
Why is Corematodus shiranus in crisis?
Due to overfishing, the chambo cichlid populations have drastically declined, adversely affecting C. Shiranus, that was last reported in 1997 and might now be extinct.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Corematodus shiranus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Corematodus shiranus a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.