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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Lethrinops macrochir.jpg Lethrinops macrochir 'Boadzulu Island'.jpg Lethrinops macrochir 'Lumessi'.jpg Lethrinops macrochir 'Senga Bay'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageLethrinops macrochir 'Boadzulu Island'
Genus: Lethrinops
Type locality: Lake Malawi [Domira Bay].
Biotope: Gravelly bottoms; occasionally also sandy bottoms.
Geographic distribution: Southern part of Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe; also recorded along the eastern coast of Lake Malawi in Mozambique and Tanzania.
Typical adult size: Up to 120 mm SL, approximately 16 cm TL.
Diet: Insect larvae and other small invertebrates obtained by ramming the head into coarse sand or gravel; stomach contents include chironomid larvae and pupae, ostracods, copepods, cladocerans, oligochaetes and plant detritus.
Breeding: Breeding males construct bowers from coarse sand or gravel; only the spawning dish inside the structure is cleared of coarse material and lined with fine sand.
Special notes: This species is distinctive in its feeding behaviour, forcefully ramming its head into coarse substrate in search of food. It also differs from all congeners in the bright yellow coloration of the lower part of the head and gular region.

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