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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Pseudotropheus sp. 'williamsi north' Nkhata Bay.jpg Rhamphochromis sp. 'grey' Nkhata Bay.jpg Rhamphochromis sp. 'longsnout' Nkhata Bay.jpg Rhamphochromis woodi 'Nkhata Bay'.jpg Sciaenochromis sp. 'elongate' Nkhata Bay.jpg
Previous pageNext pageRhamphochromis sp. 'longsnout' Nkhata Bay
Genus: Rhamphochromis
Biotope: Deep-water benthic habitats, commonly over soft substrates at 40–100 m depth, especially in the southern arms of Lake Malawi.
Geographic distribution: Recorded from Lake Malawi, including deep-water habitats in the southern basin and Nkhata Bay in the north.
Typical adult size: 231–321 mm standard length; maximum about 38.5 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Breeding males show darker dorsal pigmentation and yellow-orange pelvic and anal fins, without orange on the throat, chest or dorsal fin. Females and immatures are typically brownish with strong countershading.
Diet: Piscivorous.
Special notes: Undescribed medium-sized species characterized by a relatively long, often downward-angled snout, moderately sized mouth and a deep lower jaw, sometimes with a small mental process at the tip. The upper jaw often shows a layered appearance due to a thin outer skin layer. Teeth are large, slender and needle-like. The premaxillary pedicel is generally not prominent.

Less streamlined than many congeners and lacking a horizontal midlateral stripe. Formerly confused with R. macrophthalmus in earlier revisions. Genetic data indicate separate northern (Nkhata Bay) and southern clades, suggesting possible population structuring within this benthic deep-water lineage.

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Photo: © Martin Genner
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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