Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Genus:	Ctenopharynx
Type locality:	Vua, Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Biotope:	Sandy and muddy bottoms; prefers shallower sandy shores but is also found at depths below 30 m.
Geographic distribution:	Lake-wide distribution in Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size:	Males up to about 17 cm total length; females smaller, up to about 12 cm.
Sexual dimorphism:	Males are larger than females and typically show a bright yellow breast. Females remain smaller and less intensely coloured.
Diet:	Planktivorous. Feeds on plankton just above the silty sand layer, vacuum-cleaning sediment with a large, laterally expandable mouth.
Breeding:	Maternal mouthbrooder. Breeding males may become territorial and construct large sand-castles up to about 1 m in diameter and 50 cm high. Males pursue females over relatively large distances.
Aggression:	Males can be strongly territorial, especially during breeding.
Special notes:	Distinguished by fewer gill rakers (15–18) compared to C. intermedius and C. pictus. Many individuals show an elongate suprapectoral blotch; in some specimens the spots form an oblique, blotchy stripe.