Paretroplus is a genus of fishes in the cichlid

Cichlid

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...

 family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

. The vast majority are threatened

Threatened species

Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...

 and restricted to the northwestern part of the island. Only P. polyactis

Paretroplus polyactis

Paretroplus polyactis is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish found widely in fresh and brackish water in coastal regions and associated river basins in eastern Madagascar. It is the only Paretroplus found in the southern half of Madagascar, and one of only two found in eastern drainages . P...

is found in the southern half of Madagascar and only P. polyactis and P. gymnopreopercularis are found in eastern drainages. Most are restricted to freshwater, but at least P. polyactis and P. maromandia

Paretroplus maromandia

Paretroplus maromandia is an endangered species of cichlid fish from fresh and brackish water in northwestern Madagascar, where known from the Maintsomalaza, Andranomalaza and Maevarano Rivers, and Lake Andrapongy. It has already been extirpated from the lake, and is threatened by habitat loss and...

can also be seen in brackish habitats.

They are more closely related to the genus Etroplus

Etroplus

Etroplus is a small genus of cichlids with only three species. They are found in southern India and Sri Lanka, where they are the only native cichlids.Their closest living relatives are Paretroplus from Madagascar...

from India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 than they are to other cichlids from Madagascar (subfamilies Paratilapiinae and Ptychochrominae

Ptychochrominae

Ptychochrominae is a subfamily in the cichlid family of fishes. They are restricted to lakes and rivers in Madagascar, and the majority are threatened...

). Their maximum length varies greatly depending on the exact species, ranging from 15–16 cm (5.9–6.3 in) in P. kieneri

Kotsovato

The kotsovato is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from northwestern Madagascar. As presently defined its range spans several river basins, but this could possibly include more than one species. It is threatened by habitat loss and competition from introduced species...

and P. gymnopreopercularis to almost 40 centimetres (15.7 in) in P. damii

Damba

The damba is a species of cichlid fish from several river basins in northwestern Madagascar. This includes populations in far northern Madagascar that some have speculated represented an undescribed species, but a comparison of specimens did not support this, instead maintaining them as part of P....

. Paretroplus includes both relatively slender-bodied species (P. damii, P. gymnopreopercularis, P. kieneri, P. lamenabe, P. loisellei

Paretroplus loisellei

Paretroplus loisellei is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from the Mahanara River basin north of Sambava in northeastern Madagascar. Until its scientific description in 2011, this population was usually referred to as Paretroplus sp. nov. "Ventitry" or included in P. damii, which it resembles...

, P. nourissati

Paretroplus nourissati

The lamena is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from the vicinity of the confluence of the Amboaboa and Mangarahara Rivers near Mandritsara in northern Madagascar. This relatively elongate Paretroplus reaches about in length, and is closely related to P. lamenabe and P.tsimoly. P...

and P. tsimoly

Paretroplus tsimoly

Paretroplus tsimoly is a species of cichlid fish from the Betsiboka River basin in northwestern Madagascar. Like other members of the lamena group, it is a rheophile . This relatively elongate Paretroplus reaches about in length, and is closely related to P. lamenabe and P. nourissati....

) and relatively deep-bodied species (all remaining).

Species

, the genus Paretroplus includes 13 described species. Additionally, an undescribed species from the P. damii–loisellei species group is known from the Ankofia River basin in northwestern Madagascar.

The genus can be divided into several clade

Clade

A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

s, and one of these include P. lamenabe, P. nourissati and P. tsimoly, which have been considered worthy of placement in their own genus Lamena (still used in their common names).

• Paretroplus dambabe
  Paretroplus dambabe
  Paretroplus dambabe is an endangered species of cichlid fish from the Mahavavy du Sud river basin, including Lake Kinkony, in northwestern Madagascar. It has declined drastically due to habitat loss, invasive species and over-fishing. This relatively large and deep-bodied Paretroplus reaches almost...
  
  
• Paretroplus damii
• Paretroplus gymnopreopercularis
• Paretroplus kieneri
• Paretroplus lamenabe
• Paretroplus loisellei
  Paretroplus loisellei
  Paretroplus loisellei is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from the Mahanara River basin north of Sambava in northeastern Madagascar. Until its scientific description in 2011, this population was usually referred to as Paretroplus sp. nov. "Ventitry" or included in P. damii, which it resembles...
  
  
• Paretroplus maculatus
• Paretroplus maromandia
  Paretroplus maromandia
  Paretroplus maromandia is an endangered species of cichlid fish from fresh and brackish water in northwestern Madagascar, where known from the Maintsomalaza, Andranomalaza and Maevarano Rivers, and Lake Andrapongy. It has already been extirpated from the lake, and is threatened by habitat loss and...
  
  
• Paretroplus menarambo
  Paretroplus menarambo
  The pinstripe menarambo or pinstripe damba is a critically endangered species of cichlid fish from floodplain lakes in the Sofia River system in northwestern Madagascar. It is threatened by invasive species and over-fishing. It is part of a captive breeding program by public institutions like...
  
  
• Paretroplus nourissati
  Paretroplus nourissati
  The lamena is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish from the vicinity of the confluence of the Amboaboa and Mangarahara Rivers near Mandritsara in northern Madagascar. This relatively elongate Paretroplus reaches about in length, and is closely related to P. lamenabe and P.tsimoly. P...
  
  
• Paretroplus petiti
• Paretroplus polyactis
  Paretroplus polyactis
  Paretroplus polyactis is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish found widely in fresh and brackish water in coastal regions and associated river basins in eastern Madagascar. It is the only Paretroplus found in the southern half of Madagascar, and one of only two found in eastern drainages . P...
  
  
• Paretroplus tsimoly
  Paretroplus tsimoly
  Paretroplus tsimoly is a species of cichlid fish from the Betsiboka River basin in northwestern Madagascar. Like other members of the lamena group, it is a rheophile . This relatively elongate Paretroplus reaches about in length, and is closely related to P. lamenabe and P. nourissati....