Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Genus:	Otopharynx
Biotope:	Intermediate habitat; feeds from sediment on rocks and from sandy substrates at depths between 10–20 m.
Geographic distribution:	Recorded from Nkolongwe, Minos Reef and Nkhungu Reef in Mozambique.
Sexual dimorphism:	Males in breeding coloration have a golden yellow head and purplish blue body; females display three large blotches on the flanks and caudal peduncle.
Diet:	Both sexes feed from sediment on rocks and from sand.
Breeding:	The male constructs a small semi-circular spawning dish against the base of a slanted rock beneath an overhang. Females are led from distances of more than 10 m to the spawning site and courted en route.
Special notes:	A three-spotted cichlid tentatively assigned to the auromarginatus group. It has been suggested that it may represent a variant of Otopharynx heterodon, but it is treated separately here due to its larger adult size compared with known O. heterodon populations.