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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Maylandia gallireyae 'Gallireya Reef'<br><font color=gray>Metriaclima gallireyae 'Gallireya Reef'<br>Metriaclima sp. 'lanisticola north' Gallireya Reef</font>
Genus: Maylandia
Type locality: Gallireya Reef, Lake Malawi, Malawi.
Biotope: Sandy habitats associated with empty gastropod shells, typically near rocky structures such as large boulders or sandstone slabs that provide additional shelter.
Geographic distribution: Restricted to Gallireya Reef in Youngs Bay and Chitimba Bay in the northern part of Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size: Males about 7 cm, females about 6 cm (total length).
Sexual dimorphism: Mature males develop a dark brown to blue overall coloration that obscures the flank bar pattern, whereas females retain visible bars that extend onto the abdomen and show a lighter ground coloration.
Recommended aquarium size: 250 L
Aquarium setup: Fine sand substrate. Provide snail shells that are substantially larger than those used for Tanganyikan shell-dwellers. Add plenty of rocks to create hiding places, and keep as a harem (one male with several females).
Diet: Omnivorous; feeds by combing loose algal material from shells and rocks and by picking at small invertebrates. Females and juveniles also consume plankton in the water column.
Breeding: Females release the young into snail shells and typically do so earlier than many other mbuna, often around day 13–15.
Aggression: Generally peaceful toward other species, but males actively defend their shell-based territories against conspecific intruders.
Special notes: A true shell-dwelling mbuna with a strong association to empty gastropod shells. Population density can be relatively high, and individuals are often observed in groups near shell concentrations.

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