| Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| 15 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
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benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 50 - 125 m |
| Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi. Recorded from southern part of lake. |
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Dorsal spines (total): 14-16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-10. Diagnosis: high number of gill-rakers; head length 31.7-35.6% of standard length; preanal length 58.7-63.1% of standard length; head width 42.2-45.4% head length; premaxillary pedicel length 22.3-25.9% head length (Ref. 55908).
Description: relatively deep-bodied; mental processus relatively small; pores in infraorbital series not remarkably enlarged; jaws isognathous; jaw teeth in outer series fine, elongate and mostly bicuspid, changing to unicuspid in the largest specimens; inner teeth of jaw unicuspid; cheek with 2-4 series of scales; pharyngeal jaw stout but not greatly enlarged, with enlarged to molariform teeth; gill-rakers normal to long and simple; 22-30 scales in upper part of lateral line, 11-18 in lower part; adults with elongated dorsal and anal fins with long streamers (Ref. 55908).
Coloration: Live: Adult territorial males: background color bronze, with relatively broad dark bars; most of head, and dorsal and dorso-lateral parts of body somewhat more yellowish-bronze; ventral body parts bronze with black pigment, becoming black in fully sexually active males; unpaired fins bronze; broad white margin and narrow dark submarginal band on dorsal fin; dorsal and caudal fins with yellow-green maculae and striae; pelvic fins dark; pectoral fins yellowish; anal fin with proximal part darkest, and large, white or yellow ocelli (Ref. 55908). Females: silvery with a yellow hue; fins yellow-grey; vague dark maculae and striae pattern on dorsal and caudal fins (Ref. 55908). Color pattern of immature and non-territorial males intermediate between the female and adult male pattern, becoming more bronzy and darker with increasing territoriality (Ref. 55908). Preserved: Juveniles, females and non-territorial males: brownish yellow with 7 dark vertical bars below dorsal fin; dorsal and caudal fins brownish yellow with dark maculae; pelvic and anal fins whitish yellow (Ref. 55908). Territorial males: brown with dark vertical bars; parts between bars light brown; branchiostegal membranes and ventral body parts dark brown; unpaired and pelvic fins dark grey to black; pectoral fins whitish; dorsal fin lappets white (Ref. 55908). |
| Occurs in areas with a bottom deposit of diatom ooze (Ref. 267). Probably feeds on diatoms (Ref. 5595). |
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Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 22 June 2018 Ref. (130435)
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| harmless |
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Found in Monkey Bay (Ref. 5595, 27611, 55908), Nkhotakota, the north end of the southwest arm and north end and middle part of the southeast arm of Lake Malawi (Ref. 55908). Also Ref. 5594. |
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