Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

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Pseudotropheus sp. 'red top ndumbi' Ndumbi Point.jpg

Pseudotropheus sp. 'red top ndumbi' Pombo Rocks.jpg

Pseudotropheus sp. 'red top ndumbi' Ndumbi Point<br><font color=gray>Pseudotropheus sp. 'perspicax orange cap' Ndumbi Point</font>

Genus:	Pseudotropheus
Biotope:	Sediment-free rocky habitat at depths between 2–10 m.
Geographic distribution:	Restricted to the Tanzanian shore of Lake Malawi, from Pombo Rocks to Ndumbi Reef, with most specimens originating from Ndumbi Reef.
Typical adult size:	Males up to about 9 cm total length; females up to about 7 cm total length (usually 6–8 cm in the wild).
Sexual dimorphism:	Males display a powder-blue body with an orange to orange-red cap on the forehead and dorsal fin; females are plain grey-brown and smaller, with shorter fins and smaller anal ocelli.
Recommended aquarium size:	An aquarium volume of at least 250 l is recommended;
Aquarium setup:	Provide abundant rockwork with numerous shelters and fine quartz sand as substrate. Keep one male with 5–6 females. Due to strong intraspecific aggression, groups with multiple males are not recommended.
Diet:	Herbivorous aufwuchs feeder grazing on algae in the wild; in aquarium offer primarily vegetable-based foods enriched with spirulina and algae.
Breeding:	Maternal mouthbrooder. Males excavate a spawning pit beneath a stone; incubation lasts about 3 weeks.
Aggression:	Aggressive both within the species and toward other species, though generally less territorial than eastern P. perspicax forms.
Special notes:	Also known as Pseudotropheus sp. ‘perspicax orange cap’. A Labidochromis-like small mbuna with bicuspid teeth and a comparatively shorter head than western P. perspicax populations. Males may roam rather than defend strict territories in the wild, frequently grazing over larger areas of reef.