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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Petrotilapia tridentiger 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg Placidochromis milomo 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg Protomelas similis 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg Protomelas sp. 'hertae' Thumbi West Island.jpg Protomelas sp. 'oxyrhynchus mix' Thumbi West Island.jpg
Previous pageNext pageProtomelas similis 'Thumbi West Island'
Genus: Protomelas
Type locality: Domira Bay, Lake Malawi
Biotope: Shallow vegetated areas, mainly near rocks or at the margin of rocky habitats, including single rocks and transitions between plant beds and rocky zones.
Geographic distribution: Occurs throughout Lake Malawi and is also present in Lake Malombe. No geographical races are known.
Typical adult size: Maximum total length about 17 cm.
Sexual dimorphism: Freshly caught females can be recognized by yellow pelvic fins. Males become territorial during the breeding period.
Diet: Forages in aquatic plant beds and bites pieces from leaves to obtain firmly attached algae, often ingesting leaf fragments as well. It is reported to consume higher plants and uses sharp, closely packed outer teeth to pluck material from vegetation.
Breeding: Breeding males defend small cleared circular sites in Vallisneria beds, about 20–40 cm in diameter, sometimes enhanced with sand to form a slanted cone. In some southern localities males also defend spawning sites on open sand.
Aggression: Males are almost permanently territorial in the aquarium and more than one male should not be kept together. Males respond aggressively to similarly colored species.
Special notes: Distinguished by one, sometimes two, horizontal stripes on a silvery body and by the structure of the lower pharyngeal bone, which is inflated posteriorly and bears numerous small bicuspid teeth. It differs from similar species by a relatively larger mouth than P. labridens and P. pleurotaenia, and a shorter snout and shallower body than P. kirkii.

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