Description of a geographically variable elongate rock-dwelling cichlid (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi, Africa Author Stauffer, Jay R. Penn State University, 432 Forest Resources Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. Honorary Research Associate, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, RSA Author Konings, Adrianus F. Cichlid Press, PO Box 13608, El Paso, TX 79913 text Zootaxa 2023 2023-05-26 5296 2 265 274 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.7 journal article 53412 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.7 58ff726c-d209-45b3-b1b7-7a184429a2fb 1175-5326 7978223 A24183E7-9E76-4941-916C-0064972A8A75

TABLE 1. Morphometric and meristic data for paratypes of Metriaclima melissa from the type locality Chitande Island (n=26), and for non-type material from Chewere (n=19), and from Mbuyu (n=22), Lake Malaŵi. Ranges for the population from Chitande Island include holotype.

Variable	Holotype			Chitande		Chewere		Mbuyu
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				Min	Max	Min	Max	Min	Max
Standard length (mm)	60.2			51.1	71.9	48.2	65.9	49.9	72.9
Head length (mm)	17.3			15.1	21.4	15.0	19.9	15.4	21.9
Percent head length (%)		Mean	Std Dev
Snout length	28.8	28.4	1.4	22.6	32.3	24.5	33.2	25.3	30.6
Postorbital head length	44.0	42.0	1.7	40.0	47.8	39.0	46.4	39.7	45.5
Horizontal eye diameter	30.5	32.8	1.8	27.3	35.9	28.7	34.5	30.1	35.7
Vertical eye diameter	29.7	33.2	3.0	26.7	37.2	27.1	35.4	25.8	38.3
				Min	Max	Min	Max	Min	Max
Interorbital width	27.3	27.8	2.1	24.6	33.5	24.4	36.2	24.0	31.4
Premaxillary pedicel length	22.4	24.6	4.0	18.7	31.8	19.0	29.8	16.9	30.6
Preorbital depth	17.8	18.7	1.7	15.3	21.6	16.8	21.9	16.0	22.8
Cheek depth	24.4	25.7	1.7	22.2	31.4	18.6	30.6	23.2	29.0
Lower jaw length	39.8	38.0	2.2	31.2	43.3	30.2	42.1	33.4	42.8
Head depth	81.9	88.3	4.2	81.9	99.5	82.1	97.5	81.2	99.9
Percent standard length (%)
Head length	28.8	30.9	0.9	28.3	32.3	29.2	32.4	28.9	32.7
Body depth	27.2	30.3	0.9	26.5	32.0	27.9	31.1	28.9	31.7
Snout to dorsal-fin origin	30.3	32.5	1.3	29.8	33.8	28.9	34.9	29.5	35.6
Snout to pelvic-fin origin	32.7	35.4	1.8	32.7	37.3	33.3	39.5	31.4	38.6
Dorsal-fin base length	64.5	62.5	1.5	57.5	67.4	53.0	66.0	59.0	65.2
Anterior dorsal fin to anterior anal fin	50.6	50.6	1.8	45.7	50.9	46.4	52.3	46.4	53.9
Anterior dorsal fin to posterior anal fin	65.4	64.4	1.5	58.8	67.1	60.2	66.1	61.7	67.1
Posterior dorsal fin to anterior anal fin	30.2	30.9	1.1	28.5	34.1	28.1	35.3	29.0	33.4
Posterior dorsal fin to posterior anal fin	15.4	15.5	0.6	13.4	18.1	12.7	18.9	14.2	16.6
Posterior anal fin to dorsal caudal fin	18.7	20.0	1.4	17.5	22.0	15.5	22.4	16.9	23.4
Posterior dorsal fin to ventral caudal fin	17.1	17.3	0.9	14.3	20.8	13.9	20.0	15.2	19.2
Posterior dorsal fin to pelvic-fin origin	57.3	57.4	1.3	51.7	61.6	54.7	61.4	54.9	60.9
Anterior dorsal fin to pelvic-fin origin	28.7	32.1	1.6	28.7	33.8	28.6	34.8	29.6	35.3
Caudal peduncle length	15.1	15.3	0.8	13.1	18.5	12.2	18.0	13.6	16.7
Least caudal peduncle depth	10.2	11.2	0.8	9.4	13.0	9.9	11.9	9.1	12.3
Meristics		mode	%freq
Dorsal-fin spines	18	18	49.3	17	19	16	18	17	18
Dorsal-fin rays	9	9	63.8	8	10	8	10	8	10
Anal-fin spines	3	3	100	3	3	3	3	3	3
Anal-fin rays	8	8	75.4	7	9	7	9	8	9
Pectoral-fin rays	13	13	84.1	13	14	13	14	13	14
Pelvic-fin rays	5	5	100	5	5	5	5	5	5
Lateral-line scales	32	32	59.4	31	33	31	33	31	33
Pored scales posterior to hypural plate	1	1	50.7	1	2	1	2	1	2
Cheek scale rows	4	4	76.8	4	4	3	4	4	4
Gill rakers 1st ceratobranchial (lower)	14	13	33.3	11	14	11	15	10	14
Gil rakers 1st epibranchial (upper)	3	3	84.1	3	3	2	4	3	4
Teeth in outer row of left lower jaw	11	11	44.9	10	13	10	12	9	12
Tooth rows upper jaw	3	3	100	3	3	3	3	3	3
Tooth rows lower jaw	3	3	100	3	3	3	3	3	3