Stats

Lifespan: 8-10 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: School
Biome: Freshwater lake
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Movement: Swimming
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Spines
Status: Rare

About

This cichlid is a small fish that lives in the rocky depths of Lake Malawi. It carries its fertilized eggs inside its mouth for three weeks until they hatch.

Life cycle

1.
hatchling fry
A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2.
juvenile
A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
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 elegans