Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Genus:	Maylandia
Type locality:	Membe Point, Likoma Island, Lake Malawi, Malawi
Biotope:	Sediment-rich intermediate rocky habitat with sand–rock interfaces, occurring on rock reefs where rocks are small.
Geographic distribution:	Known only from Membe Point and Maingano Island along the northeastern shore of Likoma Island, Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size:	Males reach about 8 cm total length, while females remain smaller at approximately 6 cm.
Sexual dimorphism:	Males have blue flanks and a dark submarginal band in the dorsal fin, while females are brownish yellow and lack the submarginal band.
Recommended aquarium size:	300 liters.
Aquarium setup:	The aquarium should contain plenty of rocks arranged to form hiding places and territories. Fine sand is recommended as substrate so males can excavate burrows. It is advised to keep one male with two to three females.
Diet:	Omnivorous, feeding primarily on aufwuchs scraped from rocks and also consuming plankton from the water column.
Breeding:	A maternal mouthbrooder. Males hold territories among small rocks or alongside single rocks in the sand, where sand-scrape nests may be dug. Females are non-territorial and usually solitary.
Aggression:	Aggressive within the species, especially among males, but generally tolerant toward other species.
Special notes:	This is a small, deep-water mbuna with a very limited distribution and low population density.