Sarotherodon melanotheron is a fish from the cichlid family. It lives in fresh and brackish waters of Western Africa and is distinguished by the black color on the lower part of the head.
Sarotherodon melanotheron differs from related cichlids by its black chin and the way the female carries offspring in her mouth. The fish is important for nature because it controls algae growth and serves as food for predatory fish and birds.
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Worker
scraping
birth time
bottom
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
mangrove
very hot and very humid all year round, rain almost every day
detritus, eat dead remains of plants, animals and all kinds of organic debris on the bottom
days
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
Rasping or abrading food surfaces with teeth or mouthparts.
Captures food by straining water or substrate through specialized structures.
adult
Maturity
organic debris
mangrove forests along the seacoast
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
invertebrates
About health
marine coastal
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Repro interval
results
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
all living animals without backbone
Filters
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
Age (juvenile)
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
Foraging occurs on the floor of aquatic or terrestrial habitats.
Age (embryo)
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Wanderers
algae
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Draws prey or water into the mouth by creating negative pressure.
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
zones of mixing fresh and sea water — river deltas, estuaries
Lifespan average
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
Egg count
where the river flows into the sea, slightly salty water, lots of fish and birds
Pets
all rivers and lakes
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
Indomalayan realm
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
mouth
turns
Rascals
Dorsal fin count
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Litter size
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Egg color
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
38 to 65 grams, 15 – 40 centimeters
all rivers and lakes
estuary and delta
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Elders
Bro
lakes and ponds
Taxons
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
omnivore
age
birth date
Palearctic realm
swimming
no permanent shelter
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
Neotropical realm
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
Mouth size
primary food sources
Potential Habitat
suction
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Gestation
Body size
aquatic
foraging with mouth from the bottom and water filtration
{name} birthday
No results found
Yolk sac size
On the map
small crustaceans
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
world of Afrotropics
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
birth year
Maturity
sq mm
yr
How similar?
Egg size
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Where do they live?
Marine world
from birth to death
early young
world of Afrotropics
Chin color
River estuary into the sea
Freshwater
Duration
filter feeding
saline marine habitat
Always hot and wet
This is me
freshwater
Gamers
aquatic plants and algae
How are they built?
marine
shallow near the shore, water rises and falls, crabs live here
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
coastal marine zone — shelf, neritic zone
My age?
wk
My size?
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Littoral Zone
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Lifespan maximum
foraging
whole life
Hermaphrodite ⚥
embryo
Orange
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap