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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Alticorpus mentale 'Narungu'
Genus: Alticorpus
Type locality: Off Monkey Bay, Lake Malawi.
Biotope: Deep-water habitats over mud or sand substrates. Typically occurs between 30–150 m depth, most commonly below 60 m. Rarely encountered in shallow water.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Malawi. Originally reported from the southern end of the lake, but collection records indicate a much wider, possibly lake-wide distribution.
Typical adult size: Up to 24 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Strong. Territorial males are dark black with a purple hue dorsally and blue-green tones on the head; unpaired fins are dark grey, the dorsal fin has a white margin, and the anal fin bears large yellow-white ocelli.
Females are silvery with a purple hue on the dorsal areas; fins are grey to yellow-grey with faint markings.
Immature and non-territorial males show intermediate coloration that darkens with increasing dominance.
Diet: Primarily piscivorous. May also consume invertebrates and occasionally algae. Night-time foraging in shallower regions has been reported.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. Breeds year-round with peaks in late and early rainy seasons. Spawning has been reported at depths of approximately 75–125 m. Females reach sexual maturity at around 16 cm and produce moderate to large clutches.
Aggression: Unknown; no detailed information on territorial or interspecific aggression is available.
Special notes: Alticorpus mentale is the largest species within the genus Alticorpus.
It differs from A. macrocleithrum by the absence of a ventral chest protuberance, and from A. profundicola and A. peterdaviesi by its lower number of gill rakers.
Despite its large size, it is not targeted by the ornamental fish trade. Currently considered widespread and not threatened, though future expansion of deep-water trawl fisheries could pose a risk.

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