Copadichromis atripinnis Stauffer & Sato 2002

Diagnosis: 3 lateral spots on the body (Ref. 57549). Supra-pectoral spot about 1-1.5 times the supra-anal spot (Ref. 57549) and overlapping upper lateral line (Ref. 42940). Supra-anal spot present (Ref. 42940, 57549). Spots in the rayed portion of dorsal fin yellow; anal fin black (Ref. 42940). Breeding males with wide yellow marginal band in anal fin (Ref. 42940, 57549), blue breast and a narrow black submarginal band in the dorsal fin (Ref. 57549). Caudal fin membrane yellow, in breeding males with broad bands; pectoral fin completely black; dorsal fin base length 56.3-62.45% SL; 14-20 gill rakers on the ceratobranchial (Ref. 42940).Description: dorsal snout profile straight; gape inclination of mouth about 35° to horizontal; jaws isognathous; teeth in outer rows on dentary and premaxilla of mature males for most part large and unicuspid, with occasional bicuspid tooth, but bicuspid in females and immatures; lower pharyngeal jaw small, dentigerous area notched posteriorly, with small bicuspid teeth; gill rakers short (Ref. 57549).Coloration. breeding males: head with bright blue interorbital, gray cheeks with blue highlights, and black throat; lateral portion of body with blue ground color, anterior portion of scales gold; breast blue; shoulders gray anteriorly and bright blue posteriorly; dorsal fin pale blue with a black submarginal band on anterior half and white marginal band; caudal fin with ventral and dorsal 2 rays and membranes black, interior membranes transparent with blue rays and gold/yellow membranes; anal-fin rays and membranes proximal 3/4 black, distal 1/4 with white membranes and yellow spines and rays; pectoral fin clear; proximal 3/4 of pelvic fin black, distal 1/4 clear, membranes with micro-melanophores, white leading edge (Ref. 57549). Females: dorsal portion of head gray and ventral portion white; throat white; lateral portion of body, dorsal 1/3 gray and ventral 2/3 white; anterior portion of scales outlined in gold; 3 conspicuous black spots on flank; supra-pectoral spot below 1O-12th scale in contact with upper lateral line (Nankumba population) or not in contact with lateral line (Gome population) and about 1-1.5 times size of supra-anal spot; supra-anal spot at 22-24th scale above and in contact with lower lateral line and covering 3-4 scales; caudal spot on caudal base and onto peduncle; 3 vertical bars between supra-pectoral spot and dorsal-fin origin; dorsal fin clear with yellow spots, black submarginal band, white marginal band, and yellow lappets; caudal-fin rays and membranes white with yellow spots; proximal 1/3 of anal fin clear, middle 1/3 dusky, and distal 1/3 clear; pectoral and pelvic fins clear (Ref. 57549).

Builds bowers on a sand slope near rocky area at depth of 16-25 m. Bowers are circular or oval in shape with slight depression on the center and a surrounding sand mound. These contain a stone usually at the deeper margin of the sand mound. The depression is usually deepest near the stone and spawning takes place at this deepest part.

Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 8 - 10

Inhabits the sand/rock interface; territorial males construct bowers on sand slopes near rocky areas with distances between bowers approximately 2-7m; females gather in large schools, sometimes numbering more than a hundred individuals; foraging schools are about 2-3m off the bottom and feed on plankton in the water column and on benthic invertebrates; mouthbrooding females are found close to the bottom (Ref. 57549).