malawi.si

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
By genera By locations Locations Maps Posters Interactive map
Pseudotropheus purpuratus 'Maleri Island'.jpg Sciaenochromis fryeri 'Maleri Island'.jpg Tropheops modestus 'Maleri Island'.jpg Tyrannochromis nigriventer 'Maleri Island'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageTropheops modestus 'Maleri Island'
Genus: Tropheops
Type locality: Off Makanjila Island, Lake Malawi
Biotope: Inhabits sediment-free rocky substrates in shallow, wave-swept littoral zones, typically at depths of 1–10 m.
Geographic distribution: Restricted to the southern part of Lake Malawi. Known from the Maleri Islands, Makanjila Island and Chidunga Rocks.
Typical adult size: Up to 8 cm in the lake; in aquarium it may attain slightly larger size.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are more intensely colored, showing powder-blue body coloration with darker vertical bars and distinct anal egg-spots; females are duller blue-grey with reduced or absent egg-spots and lack extended fin streamers.
Diet: Primarily an epilithic algivore, scraping algae and associated organisms from rocky surfaces.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder with territorial males defending rocky spawning sites.
Aggression: Males are territorial and defend rock surfaces; intraspecific aggression is expected within confined areas.
Special notes: A small-bodied member of Tropheops originally described as Pseudotropheus modestus in 1974. Occurs in the southern half of Lake Malawi in sediment-associated rocky habitats. Closely related to Tropheops sp. ‘elongatus namalenje’, which inhabits Namalenje Island and shows stronger territorial behavior in males.

Photo gallery

Photo: © Ad Konings
malawi.si
Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
All images are used with permission of the authors. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Quick links
By genera By locations Locations Maps Posters Interactive map
Contact
Email Facebook Instagram
© malawi.si