Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Genus:	Lethrinops
Biotope:	Sandy environment. Occurs in shallow water near rocks and in intermediate zones from rocks to sand. Recorded mainly at depths of 7–15 m, but also found as deep as 35 m.
Geographic distribution:	Northwestern part of Lake Malawi. Known localities include Itungi, Chewere and Mdoka.
Typical adult size:	In the lake males reach about 10 cm. In aquarium conditions males may grow to about 12 cm, females to about 9 cm.
Recommended aquarium size:	500 L.
Aquarium setup:	Minimum aquarium length of 180 cm. The bottom should be covered with fine sand. Sandy areas should be interrupted with a few larger stones while still leaving wide open sandy spaces.
Diet:	Carnivorous. Feeds in groups on various invertebrates, small crustaceans and insect larvae sifted from the sand. In the aquarium accepts a wide variety of foods, including spirulina pellets, mysis, artemia, cyclops and shrimp–peas mix.
Aggression:	Peaceful cichlid, both within the species and towards other species. Due to low intraspecific aggression, several males are often coloured at the same time.
Special notes:	Representative of shallow-water Lethrinops typically associated with sandy coastal areas that may include plant zones with Vallisneria and Ceratophyllum demersum. This form has also been recorded considerably deeper than most congeners.