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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Trematocranus microstoma 'Chembe Beach'
Genus: Trematocranus
Type locality: North and south ends of Lake Malawi.
Geographic distribution: Reported by Jackson (1961) as restricted to the northern half of Lake Malawi, but also regularly caught in the south (including records from Chembe Beach and Kambiri Point).
Typical adult size: 20 – 25 cm total length.
Diet: Crustaceans and small snails, located with the aid of enlarged sensory pores on the lower half of the head.
Special notes: Closely related to T. placodon and similarly marked with three spots on a silvery body. It can be difficult to distinguish from T. placodon: T. microstoma has six to eight rows of conical teeth in the outer jaws (vs. four in T. placodon). Its three spots are usually in contact with the dorsal spot, the mid-lateral spot lies almost entirely above the upper lateral line, and the spots may be faint or even absent at times. Populations were noted as very common at Chembe Beach and Kambiri Point in July–August before heavy fishing greatly reduced them.

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