| Family: |
Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Max. size: |
12.65 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 5 - 126 m |
| Distribution: |
Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi, present in the central and southern part of the lake (Ref. 55898). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 14-16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 9-9. Diagnosis: lower jaw length 42.3-44.9 % head length; premaxillary pedicel length 18.7-23.3 % head length; cheek depth 19.1-25.4 % head length; interorbital 50.0-56.3 % head width; body depth 32.8-35.7 %SL (Ref. 55898).
Description: large, relatively elongate species; dorsal and ventral body profile almost evenly convex; head heavily built; dorsal head profile convex, straight to concave between eyes; premaxillary pedicel short and prominent; snout relatively long; mouth large; gape strongly inclined, more than 30° to horizontal; maxilla not extending to vertical at anterior margin of eye; outer oral teeth unicuspid; inner oral teeth unicuspid and recurved; 3-4 series of scales on cheek; eye small; upper margin of eye not touching dorsal head profile; lower pharyngeal jaw normal in shape; all pharyngeal teeth slender; gill-rakers on lower part of ceratobranchial short and slender, on upper part short, stout and sometimes forked (Ref. 55898).
Coloration: Preserved: Females and immature males: body pale brownish yellow; 6 very faint vertical bars below dorsal fin; vertical bars only visible on dorsum; all fins pale yellowish; dorsal fin with dark tips and faint grey spots; dorsal fin spots merged into oblique bars on soft dorsal (Ref. 55898). Mature males: body dark brownish; 6 broad dark vertical bars below dorsal fin; nape and snout dark brown; chin dark brown to black; dorsal fin dark, with white lappets and tips; dark spots on posterior part of spinous dorsal and soft dorsal; spots merged into oblique bands; caudal and anal fins dark; ventral fin with dark leading edge (Ref. 55898). |
| Biology: |
|
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 June 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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