Perissodus

Perissodus
Perissodus microlepis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Tribe:	Perissodini
Genus:	Perissodus Boulenger, 1898
Type species
Perissodus microlepis Boulenger, 1898
Synonyms
Plecodus Boulenger, 1898

Perissodus is a genus of cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. They feed on scales.^[1]

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this genus:^[2]

• Perissodus eccentricus Liem & D. J. Stewart, 1976
• Perissodus elaviae (Poll, 1949)
• Perissodus microlepis Boulenger, 1898
• Perissodus multidentatus (Poll, 1952)
• Perissodus paradoxus (Boulenger, 1898)
• Perissodus straeleni (Poll, 1948)

P. elaviae, P. multidentatus, P. paradoxus & P. straeleni were formerly allocated to Plecodus

References

1. Takahashi, R.; Watanabe, K.; Nishida, M.; Hori, M. (2007). "Evolution of feeding specialization in Tanganyikan scale-eating cichlids: A molecular phylogenetic approach". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 7 (1): 195. Bibcode:2007BMCEE...7..195T. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-7-195. PMC 2212659. PMID 17945014.
2. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Perissodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 November 2025.