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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Tropheops sp. 'chilumba type' Chiwindi
Genus: Tropheops
Biotope: Sediment-rich rocky habitats along an isolated stretch of shoreline; associated with rocky areas rather than purely sandy environments.
Geographic distribution: Recorded from Chiwindi and Wikihi along the shoreline of Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size: Comparable to Tropheops sp. ‘chilumba’, reaching approximately 14–15 cm TL.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are blue with vertical barring and a black submarginal band in the dorsal fin. Females are yellow, matching the typical pigmentation pattern of the chilumba-type group.
Aggression: Territorial behavior expected in males, consistent with other sediment-free rocky habitat members of the genus.
Special notes: Assigned to the chilumba-type group of Tropheops, characterized by blue-barred males with a black submarginal band in the dorsal fin and yellow females. Although similar in coloration and size to Tropheops sp. ‘chilumba’, this form is regarded as a distinct species due to its occurrence along an isolated shoreline lacking a large neighboring population in a purely rocky biotope. Its restricted distribution supports the view that localized populations within this complex may represent independent evolutionary lineages.

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