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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Nimbochromis livingstoni 'Border'.jpg Petrotilapia sp. 'yellow chin' Border.jpg Placidochromis electra 'Border'.jpg Placidochromis sp. 'phenochilus gissel' Border.jpg Protomelas fenestratus 'Border'.jpg
Previous pageNext pagePlacidochromis electra 'Border'
Genus: Placidochromis
Type locality: Likoma Island, Lake Malawi, Malawi
Biotope: Primarily over open sand, sometimes well away from rocks, but it may also forage among rocks in intermediate habitats. It is encountered from a few meters depth down to about 40–50 m.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Malawi, with multiple geographical populations. It is collected mainly around Likoma Island; other populations occur along the Mozambique shoreline from Chiwindi to Lumbaulo, at Mala Point, from Lumessi to the Malawi border, and south to Ntekete in Malawi.
Typical adult size: Wild males reach about 15 cm total length and females about 11 cm. In captivity, males may reach about 18 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Both sexes show a conspicuous black cheek, formed by a dark bar running through the eye and expanding over the cheek, gill cover, throat, and chin. Mature males become blue to very dark blue overall, while females remain sand- to silver-toned and are readily distinguished.
Recommended aquarium size: A minimum tank length of about 150 cm is recommended, and more than 200 cm is recommended if more than one adult male is kept.
Aquarium setup: Provide ample open swimming space with fine sand as the substrate.
Diet: An opportunistic feeder that takes items from the sand surface and is attracted to stirred-up sediment, often foraging around sand-grubbing cichlids. In the aquarium it accepts flakes and pellets; frozen invertebrates such as Artemia and Mysis help condition adults.
Breeding: Reports of territorial males in the wild are inconsistent, but males in full breeding coloration are commonly observed. Spawning appears to occur wherever a receptive female is encountered, and the female mouthbroods; an aquarium spawn from wild fish produced 70 eggs, with development to free-swimming fry taking about three weeks.
Aggression: Generally not strongly aggressive toward other cichlids, but adult males can become territorial in confined aquaria. Males may focus aggression on similarly colored species, and females may pair with look-alike males, increasing hybridization risk.
Special notes: It is identified by a strongly emphasized first vertical bar while the posterior bars are faint in non-breeding fish, and by the absence of any horizontal stripe. The black cheek is present in both sexes in breeding and non-breeding condition, and breeding males may show stronger barring overall. A narrow white/yellow margin on the dorsal fin separates it from the similar P. sp. ‘phenochilus gisseli’, whose dorsal fin lacks that margin.

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Photo: © Mark Thomas
Photo: © Larry Johnson
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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