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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Otopharynx sp. 'decorus jumbo' Senga Bay
Genus: Otopharynx
Biotope: Primarily inhabits open sandy bottoms.
Geographic distribution: Observed in the southern part of Lake Malawi, including Senga Bay and Dwangwa.
Typical adult size: Up to about 18 cm total length; females are only slightly smaller than males.
Sexual dimorphism: Females are only slightly smaller than males.
Diet: Feeds mainly on invertebrates hidden in the sand. Individuals visually inspect the substrate and bite into it after locating prey. The dentition of the lower pharyngeal bone shows centrally enlarged teeth, consistent with feeding on crustaceans and insects.
Breeding: Territorial males have not been observed.
Aggression: Lives in small groups, usually of up to six individuals; solitary fish are also frequently seen.
Special notes: Sympatric with Otopharynx decorus and shows a similar feeding strategy. The melanin pattern consists of three rather large flank blotches, although these are not always distinct. It can be distinguished by its combination of relatively large body size and small mouth. Aquarium or preserved specimens have 13–14 soft dorsal fin rays, an unusually high count among haplochromines. Snoeks & Hanssens (2004) refer to this taxon as O. sp. ‘productus’.

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