Zebra Mbuna (Maylandia zebra) Ecological Risk Screening Summary

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, February 2011 Revised, July 2018 Web Version, 8/3/2018

Photo: Bardrock. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maylandia_zebra_-_ZOO_Edynburgh.JPG. (July 2018).

1 Native Range and Status in the United States Native Range From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi [Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania]. Occurs on the northwestern coast between Cape Manulo and Kande Islands. Also found on Jalo Reef, at Namalenje Islands, Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay, Boadzulu Islands and Nkopola. On the eastern part, occurs at Fort Maguire, Masinje on Likoma and Chisumulu Islands [Konings 1990].”

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Status in the United States From Nico (2018):

“Status: Reported from Nevada.”

“The first report of this fish in Nevada was by a member of the American Cichlid Association, who observed several specimens of the "marmalade" form of P. zebra during a visit to Rogers Spring, a tributary of Lake Mead near Overton, Clark County, in July 1981 (Courtenay and Deacon 1982). Later records from Rogers Spring included a single male fish taken on 14 November 1981 (Courtenay, personal communication), and several individuals reportedly found in 1983 (Courtenay, personal communication). These records were apparently the basis for the listing of the species in later publications as introduced but not established in Nevada (e.g., Deacon and Williams 1984; Courtenay et al. 1984, 1986, 1991; Courtenay and Stauffer 1990; Vinyard 2001).”

The most recent observation of M. zebra in Nevada occurred in 2001 (Nico 2018).

This species is in trade in the United States.

From Imperial Tropicals (2015):

“Metriaclima Zebra Dwarf Manda (F-1) […] $ 7.99”

Means of Introductions in the United States From Nico (2018):

“Probable aquarium release.”

Remarks Maylandia zebra was originally described as Tilapia zebra and has also been known as Pseudotropheus zebra and Metriaclima zebra. All names were used in searching for information to inform this report.

There is conflicting information on the correct taxonomy for this species.

From Eschmeyer et al. (2018):

“Current status: Valid as Maylandia zebra (Boulenger 1899). Cichlidae: Pseudocrenilabrinae.”

From Kasembe (2017):

“This species previously appeared on the IUCN Red List in the genus Maylandia but is now considered valid in the genus Metriaclima (Konings 2016, Stauffer et al. 2016).”

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From Nico (2018):

“According to Eccles and Trewavas (1989), the genus Pseudotropheus is in particular need of revision and critical appraisal. Pseudotropheus zebra alone represents a complex of about 27 species (Ribbink et al. 1983).”

2 Biology and Ecology Taxonomic Hierarchy and Taxonomic Standing From ITIS (2018):

“Kingdom Animalia Subkingdom Bilateria Infrakingdom Deuterostomia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Infraphylum Gnathostomata Superclass Actinopterygii Class Teleostei Superorder Acanthopterygii Order Perciformes Suborder Labroidei Family Cichlidae Genus Metriaclima Species Metriaclima zebra (Boulenger, 1899)”

From Eschmeyer et al. (2018):

“Current status: Valid as Maylandia zebra (Boulenger 1899). Cichlidae: Pseudocrenilabrinae.”

Size, Weight, and Age Range From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Max length : 11.3 cm SL male/unsexed; [Maréchal 1991]”

Environment From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 8.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19; depth range 6 - 28 m. […] 22°C - 28°C [Riehl and Baensch 1991; assumed to be recommended aquarium temperature range];”

Climate/Range From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Tropical; […] 8°S - 15°S”

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Distribution Outside the United States Native From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi [Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania]. Occurs on the northwestern coast between Cape Manulo and Kande Islands. Also found on Jalo Reef, at Namalenje Islands, Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay, Boadzulu Islands and Nkopola. On the eastern part, occurs at Fort Maguire, Masinje on Likoma and Chisumulu Islands [Konings 1990].”

Introduced This species has not been reported as introduced or established outside of its native range and the United States.

Means of Introduction Outside the United States This species has not been reported as introduced or established outside of its native range and the United States.

Short Description From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-10; Anal spines: 3-4; Anal soft rays: 6 - 9. Diagnosis: head moderately sloped; rostral tip of the neurocranium swollen; jaws isognathus; outer rows of the jaws with bicuspid teeth; absence of any interrupted pigment in the pale blue dorsal fin in combination with black bars on a blue ground; gill rakers on first ceratobranchial 8- 14; gill rakers on first epibranchial 1-3 [Stauffer et al. 1997]. Females with gray/blue to blue/brown ground color and no yellow pigment in unpaired fins, ocelli in anal fin present [Konings and Stauffer 2006].”

From Stauffer et al. (1997):

“Breeding males have a blue ground coloration laterally with 6-8 black vertical bars, very faint or no bars on posterior one-third. Although extremely rare, a few males in some populations (e.g. Songwe Hill) exhibit a blue/black or orange/black blotched coloration. Belly anterior to the pelvic fins (P2) black fading to light blue posteriorly; head dark blue to black with a single light interorbital bar; gular dark gray in most populations, but yellow in some northern populations. Dorsal fin uniformly blue gray in most populations, with tips of posterior rays orange in some populations and a continuous black horizontal stripe in some northern populations; caudal fin blue/gray; anal fin blue gray with 1-5 yellow ocelli; in some populations the proximal two-thirds of the anal fin is black, while the distal one-third is light gray; P2 light blue leading edge, spine and first two rays black, posterior rays clear; P1 clear. Females generally with brown cast and 1-4 faint ocelli on anal fin. The females alternatively may be dull blue or exhibit an orange/black blotched coloration. This blotched coloration is observed more frequently in females than males and appears to be completely absent in some populations.”

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Biology From Kasembe (2017):

“Occurs in rocky habitats (can be either sediment free or sediment rich). Feeds at right angles with the substrate combing loose material from the rock surface. It is often observed feeding on plankton from the open water. Male territories consist of caves which they defend and where spawning occurs. Females are found in groups foraging in the water column. It is a polymorphic cichlid.”

From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Produces up to 60 eggs.”

From Streelman et al. (2007):

“Individual zebra can feed in two different ways (McKaye & Marsh, 1983). The elongated, terminal mouth is well adapted to suck plankton from the water column. In addition, individuals brush algae and detritus from sediment covered rock surfaces with an outer row of comb-like bicuspid teeth (Reinthal, 1990). The diet of M. zebra varies geographically and seasonally (Eccles, 1974; Haberyan & Mhone, 1991; Bootsma & Hecky, 1993).”

Human Uses From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Aquarium: highly commercial”

From Nico (2018):

“This species or species complex is well known in the aquarium trade.”

Diseases From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“White spot Disease, Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.) Fin Rot (early stage), Bacterial diseases Trypanosoma Infection, Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.) Hole-in-the-Head Disease, Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.) Pseudomonas infection, Bacterial diseases Bacterial Infections (general), Bacterial diseases Cryptobia Infestation, Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)”

Poelen et al. (2014) reports Acanthogyrus tilapiae as a parasite of Maylandia zebra (Strona et al. 2013).

No OIE-reportable diseases have been documented for this species.

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Threat to Humans From Froese and Pauly (2018):

“Harmless”

3 Impacts of Introductions From Nico (2018):

“Unknown.”

4 Global Distribution

Figure 1. Known global distribution of Maylandia zebra in Lake Malawi, eastern Africa. Map from GBIF Secretariat (2018).

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5 Distribution Within the United States

Figure 2. Known distribution of Maylandia zebra in the Lake Mead area of Nevada and Arizona in the United States. Map from Nico (2018). Eastern occurrence point represents a centroid, not a precise occurrence location. The other occurrence point represents a record of a population of M. zebra that was reportedly established in Rogers Spring in 1984. According to Nico (2018), the last observation of M. zebra in Nevada occurred in 2001. Because the establishment status of this population is uncertain, it was excluded from climate match analysis.

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6 Climate Matching Summary of Climate Matching Analysis The Climate 6 score (Sanders et al. 2014; 16 climate variables; Euclidean distance) for the contiguous United States was 0.000, which is a low climate match. The range for a low climate match is from 0.0 to 0.005, inclusive. The climate score was low in every state in the contiguous United States. Southwest Florida, far south Texas, southern Arizona, and the southern California coast had areas of medium climate match.

Figure 3. RAMP (Sanders et al. 2014) source map of southeastern Africa showing weather stations selected as source locations (red; Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) and non-source locations (gray) for Maylandia zebra climate matching. Source locations from GBIF Secretariat (2018). Selected source locations are within 100 km of one or more species occurrences, and do not necessarily represent the locations of occurrences themselves.

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Figure 4. Map of RAMP (Sanders et al. 2014) climate matches for Maylandia zebra in the contiguous United States based on source locations reported by GBIF Secretariat (2018). 0= Lowest match, 10=Highest match.

The “High”, “Medium”, and “Low” climate match categories are based on the following table:

Climate 6: Proportion of Climate Match (Sum of Climate Scores 6-10) / (Sum of total Climate Scores) Category 0.000≤X≤0.005 Low 0.005

7 Certainty of Assessment There is adequate information available about the biology, ecology, and distribution of Maylandia zebra. This species has been documented as introduced outside of its native range, but the current status of the population is unknown, and no information is available on impacts of this introduction. Further, there is some uncertainty about the taxonomy of this species, including what genus in belongs in and whether it is one species or a complex of species. Because further information is needed, certainty of this assessment is low.

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8 Risk Assessment Summary of Risk to the Contiguous United States Maylandia zebra, the Zebra Mbuna, is a cichlid species endemic to Lake Malawi in eastern Africa. It is used in the aquarium trade, including in the United States. M. zebra can be afflicted by numerous bacterial diseases and parasitic infestations. This species has a low climate match with the contiguous United States, although there are a few small areas of medium climate match in the southeast and southwest. M. zebra was reported from Rogers Spring, Nevada in 1981 and 1983; however, no M. zebra have been observed in Nevada since 2001 and no information is available on the current status of this population. No impacts of introductions of this species have been documented in the scientific literature. The introduction is believed to be from an aquarium release. There is some uncertainty about the taxonomy of this M. zebra, including what genus it belongs in and whether it is one species or a complex of species. Because of a lack of information from which to base an assessment of risk, the certainty of this assessment is low. The overall risk assessment category is uncertain.

Assessment Elements  History of Invasiveness (Sec. 3): None Documented  Climate Match (Sec. 6): Low  Certainty of Assessment (Sec. 7): Low  Overall Risk Assessment Category: Uncertain

9 References Note: The following references were accessed for this ERSS. References cited within quoted text but not accessed are included below in Section 10.

Eschmeyer, W. N., R. Fricke, and R. van der Laan, editors. 2018. Catalog of fishes: genera, species, references. Available: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp. (July 2018).

Froese, R., and D. Pauly, editors. 2018. Maylandia zebra (Boulenger, 1899). FishBase. Available: https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Maylandia-zebra.html. (July 2018).

GBIF Secretariat. 2018. GBIF backbone taxonomy: Maylandia zebra (Boulenger, 1899). Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/2373039. (July 2018).

Imperial Tropicals. 2015. Metriaclima Zebra Dwarf Manda (F-1). Available: https://imperialtropicals.com/collections/african-cichlids/products/metriaclima-zebra- dwarf-manda-f-1. (July 2018).

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ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). 2018. Metriaclima zebra (Boulenger, 1899). Integrated Taxonomic Information System, Reston, Virginia. Available: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=648 227#null. (July 2018).

Kasembe, J. 2017. Metriaclima zebra (amended version of 2006 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T61155A120778246. Available: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/61155/0. (July 2018).

Nico, L. 2018. Pseudotropheus zebra (Boulenger, 1899). U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, Florida. Available: https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=474. (July 2018).

Poelen, J. H., J. D. Simons, and C. J. Mungall. 2014. Global Biotic Interactions: an open infrastructure to share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics 24:148-159.

Sanders, S., C. Castiglione, and M. H. Hoff. 2014. Risk Assessment Mapping Program: RAMP. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Stauffer, J. R., Jr., N. J. Bowers, K. A. Kellogg, and K. R. McKaye. 1997. A revision of the blue- black Pseudotropheus zebra (Teleostei: Cichlidae) complex from Lake Malawi, Africa, with a description of a new genus and ten new species. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 148:189-230.

Streelman, J. T., R. C. Albertson, and T. D. Kocher. 2007. Variation in body size and trophic morphology within and among genetically differentiated populations of the cichlid fish, Metriaclima zebra, from Lake Malawi. Freshwater Biology 52(3):525-538.

10 References Quoted But Not Accessed Note: The following references are cited within quoted text within this ERSS, but were not accessed for its preparation. They are included here to provide the reader with more information.

Bootsma, H. A., and R. E. Hecky. 1993. Conservation of the African great lakes: a limnological perspective. Conservation Biology 7:644–656.

Eccles, D. H. 1974. An outline of the physical limnology of Lake Malawi. Limnology and Oceanography 19:730-742.

Haberyan, K. A., and O. K. Mhone. 1991. Algal communities near Cape Maclear, southern Lake Malawi, Africa. Hydrobiologia 215:175-188.

Konings, A. 1990. Konings's book of cichlids and all the other fishes of Lake Malawi. TFH Publications, New Jersey.

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Konings, A. F., and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 2006. Revised diagnosis of Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with description of a new species from Lake Malawi National Park, Africa. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 17(3):233-246.

Maréchal, C. 1991. Pseudotropheus. Pages 401-415 in J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G. G. Teugels, and D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde, editors. Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). Volume 4. ISNB, Brussels, Belgium; MRAC, Tervuren, Belgium; ORSTOM, Paris.

McKaye, K. R., and A. C. Marsh. 1983. Food switching by two specialized algae-scraping cichlid fishes form Lake Malawi, Africa. Oecologia 56:245-248.

Reinthal, P. N. 1990. The feeding habits of herbivorous rock-dwelling cichlid fishes (Cichlidae: Perciformes) from Lake Malawi, Africa. Environmental Biology of Fishes 27:215-233.

Riehl, R., and H. A. Baensch. 1991. Aquarien atlas volume 1. Mergus, Verlag für Natur-und Heimtierkunde, Melle, Germany.

Strona, G., M. Lourdes, D. Palomares, N. Bailly, P. Galli, and K. D. Lafferty. 2013. Host range, host ecology, and distribution of more than 11800 fish parasite species. Ecology 94:544.

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