A morphometric revision of the genus Ophthalmotilapia (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from Lake Tanganyika (East Africa)

A detailed morphometric study of the endemic cichlid genus Ophthalmotilapia Pellegrin, 1904 from Lake Tanganyika was made. At present. four species ar e recognized within the genus Ophthalmotilapia: O. boops (Boulenger, 1901), O. heterodonta (Poll & Matthes, 1962), O. nasuta (Poll & Matthes, 1962) an d O. ventralis (Boulenger, 1898). The morphometric analysis included 24 mea surements on 129 specimens and 17 meristics on 132 specimens, that belong t o the four species. A redescription of the genus is,given. The most importa nt diagnostic features distinguishing the genus Ophthalmotilapia from the o ther genera within the tribe Ectodini are listed. The four species currentl y recognized are redefined on the basis of distinctive morphological charac ters and their within-lake distributions are discussed. (C) 1999 The Linnea n Society of London.