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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Diplotaxodon greenwoodi.jpg Diplotaxodon greenwoodi 'Chizumulu Island'.jpg Diplotaxodon greenwoodi 'Mbamba Bay'.jpg
Next pageDiplotaxodon greenwoodi (unknown locality)
Genus: Diplotaxodon
Type locality: 8 km south of Mumbo Island, Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi
Biotope: Deep-water habitats, typically between about 50 m and at least 148 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Lake-wide distribution in Lake Malawi, but nowhere common.
Typical adult size: At least 244 mm standard length, possibly approaching 270 mm SL.
Sexual dimorphism: Breeding males darken on the dorsal surface, much of the head and all fins, while retaining silvery flanks and belly, and show multiple yellow eggspots on the anal fin.
Feeding: Primarily piscivorous and regarded as a paedophage that steals fry from the mouths of brooding females; stomach analyses have revealed remains of juvenile cichlids.
Aquarium setup: A large deep-water predator that has never been exported alive and is not maintained in aquaria.
Special notes: A very large, deep-bodied species with a strongly laterally compressed body, extremely large mouth and a steeply angled gape of approximately 57–66°. It differs from Pallidochromis tokolosh and Diplotaxodon longimaxilla by its deeper body and more strongly upturned mouth. Phylogenomic analyses place it as sister to Pallidochromis tokolosh, with D. longimaxilla as the next closest relative.

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Photo: © Mark Smith
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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