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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Pseudotropheus sp. 'tiny' Thumbi West Island.jpg Sciaenochromis fryeri 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg Tropheops romandi 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg Tropheops sp. 'orange chest' Thumbi West Island.jpg Tropheops sp. 'red cheek' Thumbi West Island.jpg
Previous pageNext pageTropheops romandi 'Thumbi West Island'
Genus: Tropheops
Type locality: Likoma Island, Lake Malawi
Biotope: Inhabits intermediate habitats with patches of sand among rocks and sediment-covered slabs, occurring to at least 25 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Reported from Likoma Island and Thumbi West Island, and along the eastern coast of the Nankumba Peninsula from Domwe Island to Nkhudzi, including several reefs.
Typical adult size: Around 10 cm total length in imports, becoming larger in aquarium.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are dark blue-grey with longer fins and larger anal ocelli; females are vivid yellow. Both sexes display a conspicuous submarginal band on the dorsal and anal fins.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium volume of around 300 L is recommended. To keep more than one active male, a minimum tank length of about 150 cm is required.
Aquarium setup: Provide abundant shelters formed by rocks and flat stones interspersed with sandy areas. Avoid larger or highly aggressive congeners to reduce harassment and hybridization.
Diet: Feeds mainly on aufwuchs from rock and sand substrates and also consumes plankton; in aquarium, a diet rich in vegetable matter is advised.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. Males excavate shallow pits (3–5 cm deep and 14–26 cm in diameter) beneath or alongside rocks and defend these territories during spawning. Females incubate eggs and fry in the mouth for about three weeks.
Aggression: Moderately aggressive for a member of Tropheops; territorial aggression is directed mainly toward conspecifics, while females and juveniles are not territorial.
Special notes: Belongs to a group of shallow-bodied, weakly specialized Tropheops inhabiting intermediate zones. Although the type locality is given as Likoma Island, later accounts indicate that the original material likely originated from Thumbi West Island, reflecting historical inaccuracies in locality data for several Malawi cichlids described during the 1970s.

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Photo: © Ad Konings
Photo: © Ad Konings
Photo: © Ad Konings
Photo: © Pete Barnes
Photo: © Mark Smith
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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