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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Mylochromis anaphyrmus 'Chitseko'.jpg Mylochromis anaphyrmus 'Malopa'.jpg Mylochromis anaphyrmus 'Otter Island'.jpg Mylochromis anaphyrmus 'Thumbi West Island'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageMylochromis anaphyrmus 'Otter Island'
Genus: Mylochromis
Type locality: Monkey Bay, Lake Malawi, Malawi
Biotope: Sand-dwelling species occurring along sandy coasts, commonly below 10 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Malawi, widespread in the southern and western parts of the lake in Malawi; also reported from Chilola Bay in Mozambique.
Typical adult size: Males up to 23 cm total length; females up to 15 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Dominant males are solid blue, sometimes with a small yellow spot on each scale; breeding males may lose the diagonal stripe and show prominent dark vertical bars. Females are silvery with a diagonal band and yellow caudal fin.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium volume of 600 L is recommended.
Aquarium setup: Provide a large sandy area with as much open sand as possible, interrupted by a few larger stones. Keep one male with several females.
Diet: Primarily molluscivorous; morphology indicates a pharyngeal crusher of snails with large molariform teeth. Stomach contents examined contained mainly gastropod remains and shell fragments, as well as sand, detritus, algal remains, copepods, chironomids, and other arthropod material.
Breeding: Territorial males construct sandcastle bowers on open sand and defend them while attracting females. Breeding males are completely blue and display vertical flank bars.
Aggression: Generally peaceful and best kept with other calm species.
Special notes: A deep-bodied species with oblique striping, characterized by a small, rounded head and small mouth. It differs from Tramitichromis brevis by a relatively smaller eye, and from M. sphaerodon by a shorter, more rounded snout.

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