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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Diplotaxodon sp. 'holochromis' (unknown locality)
Genus: Diplotaxodon
Biotope: Deep-water benthic habitats.
Geographic distribution: Reported from across Lake Malawi, with records indicating frequent occurrence around Nkhata Bay.
Typical adult size: Up to about 160 mm SL (around 19 cm total length).
Sexual dimorphism: Breeding males are described as uniformly dark; a narrow white margin on the dorsal fin can be present but is variable. Females and juveniles are silvery and countershaded.
Habitat: Occurs on bottoms at about 35–160 m depth and is associated with steeply shelving coasts for breeding.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder.
Special notes: Identification has remained uncertain due to few males in breeding dress, variable male coloration, and overlap in body proportions with related taxa. One full genome sequence is available from a specimen collected at Nkhata Bay in 2016, and phylogenetic analyses place it close to Diplotaxodon altus and Diplotaxodon sp. ‘ngulube’.

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