Shallow rocky shores in the southeast arm of Lake Malawi at depths of
2–10 m, among boulders with algal growth; avoids open sandy areas.
Geographic distribution:
Restricted to the waters surrounding Chinyankwazi and Chinyamwezi
Islands, southeast arm of Lake Malawi.
Typical adult size:
Up to 13.8 cm standard length.
Sexual dimorphism:
Adult males display intense blue body coloration with red to orange
highlights on the dorsal and anal fins and distinct egg-spots; females are
olive-brown to greyish with more subdued coloration and faint barring.
Diet:
Feeds primarily on plankton from the water column and supplements this
with attached algae scraped from rocks.
Breeding:
Maternal mouthbrooder. Males establish breeding territories on rocks in
shallow water; females incubate eggs and fry in the buccal cavity.
Special notes:
Described from the “Steveni Fire Blue” from Chinyankwazi and
Chinyamwezi islands. Treated on tanganyika.si as a valid species, Protomelas dejunctus.
Some other authors consider it a subspecies of Protomelas taeniolatus (Protomelas taeniolatus dejunctus).
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