Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

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Maylandia sp. 'kingsizei lupingu' Cape Kaiser.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'kingsizei lupingu' Lupingu.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'kingsizei lupingu' Cape Kaiser<br><font color=gray>Metriaclima sp. 'kingsizei lupingu' Cape Kaiser</font>

Tribe / Genus:	Maylandia
Biotope:	Intermediate habitat.
Geographic distribution:	Along the Tanzanian shore of Lake Malawi between Lupingu and Cape Kaiser.
Typical adult size:	Males about 9 cm total length, females about 7 cm.
Recommended aquarium size:	250 L, with a minimum aquarium length of 100 cm.
Aquarium setup:	Provide many rocks with ample hiding places. Keep one male with at least 3–4 females, or maintain them in groups (e.g., 3 males and 7 females).
Diet:	Omnivorous. In nature it feeds mainly on plankton, and at other times it rakes loose aufwuchs from rocks. In the aquarium provide food that includes sufficient spirulina.
Breeding:	Males defend their spawning sites with great vigor.
Aggression:	Aggressive within the species, but generally tolerant toward other species.
Special notes:	Males are polymorphic in breeding coloration, ranging from light blue to completely orange, with intermediate forms also present. In the central bay at Lupingu most males are light blue and only a few orange-yellow individuals are seen, while between the southern bay and Cape Kaiser there are populations with predominantly orange males and only small numbers of blue ones. At Cape Kaiser males have a light-blue back and a yellow abdomen. Most populations are very dense; females and non-territorial males school in mid-water while feeding on plankton. In the southern section of its distribution it occurs together with Cynotilapia sp. ‘lion’, and near Cape Kaiser the male coloration of both is indistinguishable, while further south they can be told apart by the structure of their teeth.