Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Genus:	Lethrinops
Biotope:	Sandy environment. Lives in deeper water, from about 35–55 m depth, in sandy areas near rocks and in intermediate zones between rocks and sand.
Geographic distribution:	Lake Malawi. Recorded from Thumbi West Island, Masimbwe Islet (south of Likoma Island), Chiloelo and Mbamba Bay. Also reported from the southern part of the lake near Harbour Island (Monkey Bay).
Typical adult size:	In the lake males reach about 10 cm. In the aquarium males grow to about 12 cm, females to around 9 cm.
Recommended aquarium size:	400 L.
Aquarium setup:	Minimum aquarium length of 150 cm. Fine sand substrate is essential, interrupted by a few larger stones while leaving large open sandy areas. Best kept in larger groups, for example 5 males with 7 females, together only with other peaceful cichlids such as Aulonocara.
Diet:	Carnivorous. Feeds on various invertebrates, small crustaceans and insect larvae sifted from the sand, usually feeding in larger groups.
Aggression:	Peaceful both within the species and towards other species. Due to low intraspecific aggression, several males are often fully coloured within a group.
Special notes:	Variant from Harbour Island is in the aquarium trade often offered as Lethrinops sp. "harbour" or Lethrinops sp. "gold harbour".