Animalia Life

Champsochromis caeruleus
FAMILY
Cichlidae
TAXONOMY
Paratilapia caerulea Boulenger, 1908, Lake Malawi.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
German: Forellen-Cichlide; Nyanja: Ndunduma.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Maximum length 12.6 in (32 cm). Large, predatory cichlid with slender body. Dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins somewhat elongate in adults. Immature males and females silver gray, with dark band running obliquely along uppermost part of body. Breeding males acquire brilliant greenish blue coloration, and edges of the dorsal and anal fins become orange.
DISTRIBUTION
Widely distributed in Lake Malawi, East Africa.
HABITAT
Inshore waters to depths of 180 ft (55 m).
BEHAVIOR
Juveniles school together, but adults usually cruise solitarily.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on smaller fishes.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Mouth brooder. Male forms a pit over sandy substrate. Female lays eggs in the pit and then collects them; eggs are fertilized in the female’s mouth.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Locals occasionally catch these fish using baited hooks.

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