Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Melanochromis brevis (Melanochromis brevis), recorded as Endangered
Melanochromis brevis (Melanochromis brevis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Melanochromis brevis

Melanochromis brevis

Melanochromis brevis is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes), recorded as Endangered and tied to Malawi.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Melanochromis brevis
Recorded from
Malawi
Taxonomy
Perciformes · Cichlidae · Pseudotropheus

The cichlid

Cichlids are perch-like freshwater fishes with a second set of jaws in the throat. Many species mouth-brood the young.

Perch-like ray-finned fishes: spiny-rayed fins and a huge spread of freshwater and marine families.

Range and habitat

Melanochromis brevis is recorded from Malawi.

GBIF currently lists 12 occurrence points. Those points follow where people logged the taxon — museum drawers and surveys included — not a closed range boundary.

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

Melanochromis brevis is 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 Dutch Wikipedia article on Melanochromis brevis, translated and retold in English, plus Wikidata item Q580303 and GBIF occurrence geography. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Confirm status and range on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. 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 Melanochromis brevis?
Melanochromis brevis is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes).
What is the conservation status of Melanochromis brevis?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Melanochromis brevis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Melanochromis brevis live?
Melanochromis brevis is a ray-finned fish from the cichlid family (Cichlidae).
Why is Melanochromis brevis in crisis?
It is Endangered on Wikidata. Read the official Red List assessment for the criteria.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Melanochromis brevis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Melanochromis brevis a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.