Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

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Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Higga Reef.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Liuli.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Lundo Island.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Ndonga.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Thumbi Point.jpg

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Lundo Island<br><font color=gray>Metriaclima sp. 'msobo heteropictus' Lundo Island</font>

Tribe / Genus:	Maylandia
Biotope:	Rocky habitat at depths ranging between 7 and 25 meters.
Geographic distribution:	Lake Malawi (Tanzania and Mozambique): found between Njambe and Lundo Island, with additional records from Higga Reef south of Lundo Island.
Typical adult size:	Males up to about 12 cm total length; females up to about 10 cm.
Sexual dimorphism:	Males are blue with a highly variable pattern of vertical bars that do not extend over the entire flank, leaving the upper body light blue. Females are white-yellow with a yellow anal fin.
Recommended aquarium size:	350 L, with a minimum aquarium length of 150 cm.
Aquarium setup:	Provide abundant rockwork with many hiding places. One male should be kept with 3–4 females, or maintained in groups such as 3 males with 7 females. It is recommended to house them together with other algivorous mbuna.
Diet:	Herbivorous algivore. Feeds primarily by combing algae from rocks (aufwuchs), while females also consume plankton.
Breeding:	Breeding behavior follows the typical Maylandia pattern, with males defending territories on rocky substrates used as spawning sites.
Aggression:	Aggressive within the species, generally tolerant toward other species.
Special notes:	This species belongs to the black-dorsal group and was previously associated with the so-called “Msobo Trio”. Its distribution is separated from that of Maylandia sp. ‘msobo’ by sandy shores that act as a natural barrier, and no intermediate forms between the two have been found. Although some aspects of male coloration suggest a possible relationship to Melanochromis, the feeding technique is unmistakably that of Maylandia, combing algae tightly from the rock surface.