Kotsovato

Diagnosis: A shallow-bodied Paretroplus distinguished from all congeners except P. gymnopreopercularis by the presence of a blotchy, mottled, and irregular pigmentation pattern, the absence of vertical bars on the flanks, and by a fleshy snout that extends rostral to the lips and also ventrally to cover a portion of the upper lip (Ref. 78623). Paretroplus kieneri is distinguished from its sister taxon, P. gymnopreopercularis, by the presence of a more or less fully scaled preopercle, except along the ventral margin, vs. completely asquamate; a pointed and mildly convex predorsal profile, vs. blunt and strongly convex; and a second lacrimal plate that forms a part, albeit small, of the orbit margin, vs. second lacrimal plate excluded from orbit margin; the pigmentation pattern of P. kieneri is conspicuously blotchy, mottled, and irregular, whereas P. gymnopreopercularis is characterized by a weakly mottled and especially uniform chain-link lateral pigmentation pattern, owing to darkly pigmented scale margins (Ref. 78623).

Dorsal spines (total): 18 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 15; Anal spines: 9 - 11; Analsoft rays: 11 - 12

fisheries:

The kotsovato (Paretroplus kieneri) is a species of cichlid 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. This relatively elongate Paretroplus reaches about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length and is closely related to P. gymnopreopercularis, which it resembles. The specific name honours the French fisheries scientist André Kiener.