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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Lethrinops sp. 'boadzulu' Boadzulu Island.jpg Maylandia zebra 'Boadzulu Island'.jpg Melanochromis vermivorus 'Boadzulu Island'.jpg Mylochromis sp. 'incola mumbo' Boadzulu Island.jpg Nimbochromis linni 'Boadzulu Island'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageMelanochromis vermivorus 'Boadzulu Island'
Genus: Melanochromis
Type locality: Nkudzi, Lake Malawi, Malawi
Biotope: Shallow intermediate habitat, most commonly at depths around three meters but occasionally recorded deeper than 20 meters.
Geographic distribution: Restricted to the southeastern arm of Lake Malawi, recorded from Nkhudzi, Mphandi and Boadzulu islands, and Makokola Reef.
Typical adult size: Males attain about 10 cm total length in the wild; females remain approximately one fifth smaller.
Sexual dimorphism: Breeding males exhibit the reversed melanin pattern typical for the genus, with a yellow-brown to dark brown ground colour. Females retain the basic horizontal stripe pattern.
Diet: Opportunistic feeder attracted to stirred-up material. Picks at moving items in the shallow habitat and also feeds on algae attached to rocks.
Breeding: Males in breeding coloration are seen within small foraging groups but do not defend territories. Aggression occurs when breeding males encounter each other, yet no fixed spawning site is protected. Females are maternal mouthbrooders; mouthbrooding females have not been observed in the wild.
Special notes: Previously confused with M. heterochromis in the literature. The species can be distinguished by a larger interorbital width and a deeper head compared with M. melanopterus, and by diagnostic differences in lower jaw and premaxillary pedicel proportions relative to M. heterochromis.

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Photo: © Ad Konings
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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