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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Maylandia zebra 'Hongi Island'.jpg Otopharynx sp. 'heterodon longnose' Hongi Island.jpg Petrotilapia genalutea 'Hongi Island'.jpg Placidochromis sp. 'electra blue' Hongi Island.jpg Tropheops sp. 'red fin' Hongi Island.jpg
Previous pageNext pagePetrotilapia genalutea 'Hongi Island'
Genus: Petrotilapia
Type locality: Monkey Bay.
Biotope: Sediment-rich and intermediate habitats. It occurs among rocks of various sizes and is often associated with intermediate zones that contain some rocks; reported depth use includes shallow water (often not beyond 8 m), with records down to 18 m at Boadzulu Island. Males may be most abundant around 3 m, while females are often most abundant in the extreme shallows.
Geographic distribution: Among the most widely distributed mbuna in Lake Malawi. Reported as widespread along most of the western Malawian coast (up to Ruarwe) and at Makanjila on the eastern coast, with records extending to the Tanzanian eastern coast at Londo where it coexists with P. flaviventris. It is absent from a few known localities including Likoma, Chizumulu, Chinyankwazi, and Chinyamwezi, and is encountered at many islands in the western half of the lake.
Typical adult size: Typically about 15 cm total length in adult males, with aquarium individuals reported to become larger. In the provided husbandry note, adult size is given as 17 cm for males and 14 cm for females.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are larger and more colourful, with broader fins and larger egg spots on the anal fin. Females (and juveniles) show a pale background (white to very light beige) with two rows of spots on the flank, the lower row including a few larger blotches, and the dorsal fin bears a black submarginal band.
Males are described as mainly blue-grey with yellow ventral areas (notably throat and cheeks) and with thick black submarginal bands in the dorsal and anal fins; dominant males may show stronger vertical barring.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium volume of 500 L is recommended.
Diet: Omnivorous with a strong reliance on grazing: it primarily brushes rock surfaces to collect loose aufwuchs and associated invertebrate fauna, and also takes plankton when it is abundant. Juveniles are reported to feed primarily on plankton. In aquarium care notes, algae-based foods (e.g., spirulina or algae-based flakes/sticks) are suggested, with caution advised against soft foods such as mosquito larvae, worms, or adult brine shrimp due to long-term digestive issues.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. The pair bond lasts only during spawning; eggs are taken into the female’s mouth after fertilisation and incubated for about three weeks. Territorial males defend breeding areas against conspecific males, with mean territory surface reported around 20 m² (and breeding territories described as over 20 m² in some cases).
Aggression: Aggressive mainly towards conspecifics: only a minority of males are territorial, and territorial males primarily chase other males of the same species. It is described as less aggressive than some other rock-dwelling cichlids and is generally tolerant toward other species. It commonly forages in large schools, which may include a few other Petrotilapia species.
Special notes: A member of the habitat-related “P. genalutea group”, associated with sediment-rich and intermediate habitats.
Recognizable by the black submarginal band in the dorsal fin and two rows of blotches on the flanks. It commonly forms large feeding groups, especially when food resources are limited.
A form previously referred to as P. sp. ‘chitande’ is discussed as a geographical variant or closely related phenotype, and the species has also been exported under the name “Petrotilapia Tridentiger”.

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Photo: © Ricky Ward
Photo: © Ricky Ward
Photo: © Ricky Ward
Photo: © Ricky Ward
Photo: © Ricky Ward
Photo: © Ricky Ward
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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