Stats

Lifespan

10-15 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater lake

Range

East Africa

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

This striped cichlid lives among the deep caves and rocky reefs of Lake Malawi. It changes its body color from yellow to dark brown when feeding on parasites off large catfish.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling fry

   A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Cichliformes

Family

Cichlidae

Genus

Pseudotropheus

Species

Pseudotropheus crabro