Altolamprologus compressiceps is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to the shallow rocky areas of Lake Tanganyika. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.[1]
A. compressiceps are close relatives to A. calvus and can be distinguished by their shorter jaws and turned up snout. Calvus have a long sloping face, less distinct bars, and more distinct spots.[3]
Several local variants exist, and some may prove to be distinct species or subspecies. Some examples include:
'Fire Fin'
'Gold'
'Gold Head Kasanga'
'Kigoma'
'Mutondwe'
'Red Fin'
'Yellow Chaitika'
'Zaire Gold'
Evolutionary biology
Lake Tanganyika holds at least 250 species of cichlid fish[4] and there are still undescribed species in the lake.[5] Almost all (98%) of the Tanganyika cichlids are endemic to the lake and it is thus an important biological resource for the study of speciation in evolution.[6][7]