Lethrinops

"Sandeater" redirects here. For the South and Central American cichlids, see eartheater.

Lethrinops is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, they are known as the sandeaters or sandsifters. Cichlid fishes of the Lethrinops genus have been studied in biology and ichthyology, primarily due to their radiated speciation and rapid evolution in their native habitat of Malawi. In biology, the speciation seen in these fish is known as explosive speciation.^[1] Numerous environmental pressures, such as overfishing, invasive species, and pollution threaten species of the Lethrinops genus. Malawi has established a national park to protect the cichlid species within the lakes.^[2]

Lethrinops
Lethrinops lethrinus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Tribe:	Haplochromini
Genus:	Lethrinops Regan, 1922
Type species
Chromis lethrinus Günther, 1894

Species

There are currently 24 recognized species in this genus:^[3]

• Lethrinops albus Regan, 1922
• Lethrinops altus Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops argenteus C. G. E. Ahl, 1926
• Lethrinops atrilabris G. F. Turner. 2022^[4]
• Lethrinops auritus (Regan, 1922) (golden sand-eater)
• Lethrinops christyi Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops furcifer Trewavas, 1931 (greenface sandsifter)
• Lethrinops gossei W. E. Burgess & H. R. Axelrod, 1973
• Lethrinops leptodon Regan, 1922
• Lethrinops lethrinus (Günther, 1894)
• Lethrinops longimanus Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops longipinnis Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1978
• Lethrinops lunaris Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops macracanthus Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops macrochir (Regan, 1922)
• Lethrinops macrophthalmus (Boulenger, 1908)
• Lethrinops marginatus C. G. E. Ahl, 1926 (Lethrinops rounded head)
• Lethrinops micrentodon (Regan, 1922)
• Lethrinops microdon Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1977
• Lethrinops microstoma Trewavas, 1931 (littletooth sandeater)
• Lethrinops mylodon Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1979
• Lethrinops oculatus Trewavas, 1931
• Lethrinops parvidens Trewavas, 1931 (Lethrinops red flush)
• Lethrinops stridei Eccles & D. S. C. Lewis, 1977
• Lethrinops turneri Ngatunga & Snoeks, 2003

See also

• Eartheaters, a group of South American cichlids with a similar niche