| Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| 28 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
|
pelagic; freshwater; depth range - 148 m |
| Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi and upper Shire River. |
|
Diagnosis: small, closely-packed teeth; relatively small maximum size; larger specimens often with bright greenish metallic iridescence on upper surface of the body, mature males can be more bluish-grey (Ref. 55949).
Description: small, streamlined fish with smaller mouth and teeth than most congenerics; operculum with relatively large surface area and squarish appearance; cheek relatively deep; eye large; teeth very small and closely packed; gill-rakers usually long, unbranched and closely-packed (Ref. 55949).
Coloration: body countershaded, dark grey dorsally; immature fish and mature fish of both sexes may have grey-white or orange-yellow ventral fins; there may be 3-6 yellow or pinkish egg spots on the anal fin; aquarium-kept specimens sometimes show faint narrow vertical bars (Ref. 55949). |
| Found in reedy bays and lagoons, at open sandy beaches, throughout the shelf and reef zones (Ref. 55949), and in the open water (Ref. 5595, 55949). Piscivorous (Ref. 5595, 55949). Small specimens mostly feed on crustacean zooplankton, adults predominantly eat larvae and juveniles of small shoaling zooplanktivorous cyprinid Engraulicypris sardella; female mouthbrooder (Ref. 55949). |
|
Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 23 May 2018 (A2d) Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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