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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Copadichromis sp. 'chitimba' Gallireya Reef.jpg Cynotilapia sp. 'hara' Gallireya Reef.jpg Maylandia gallireyae 'Gallireya Reef'.jpg Maylandia sp. 'red top gallireya' Gallireya Reef.jpg Mylochromis sp. 'mollis gallireya' Gallireya Reef.jpg
Previous pageNext pageMaylandia gallireyae 'Gallireya Reef'<br><font color=gray>Metriaclima gallireyae 'Gallireya Reef'<br>Metriaclima sp. 'lanisticola north' Gallireya Reef</font>
Genus: Maylandia
Type locality: Gallireya Reef, Lake Malawi, Malawi.
Biotope: Sandy habitats associated with empty gastropod shells, typically near rocky structures such as large boulders or sandstone slabs that provide additional shelter.
Geographic distribution: Restricted to Gallireya Reef in Youngs Bay and Chitimba Bay in the northern part of Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size: Males about 7 cm, females about 6 cm (total length).
Sexual dimorphism: Mature males develop a dark brown to blue overall coloration that obscures the flank bar pattern, whereas females retain visible bars that extend onto the abdomen and show a lighter ground coloration.
Recommended aquarium size: 250 L
Aquarium setup: Fine sand substrate. Provide snail shells that are substantially larger than those used for Tanganyikan shell-dwellers. Add plenty of rocks to create hiding places, and keep as a harem (one male with several females).
Diet: Omnivorous; feeds by combing loose algal material from shells and rocks and by picking at small invertebrates. Females and juveniles also consume plankton in the water column.
Breeding: Females release the young into snail shells and typically do so earlier than many other mbuna, often around day 13–15.
Aggression: Generally peaceful toward other species, but males actively defend their shell-based territories against conspecific intruders.
Special notes: A true shell-dwelling mbuna with a strong association to empty gastropod shells. Population density can be relatively high, and individuals are often observed in groups near shell concentrations.

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