Aquarist Atlas
Collection point · Lake Malawi · Malawi

Matambukira Rocks

mah-tahm-boo-KEE-rah ROKS (approx.)

The atlas records 5 collection-point forms from Matambukira Rocks, across 4 genera.

10.3830°S 34.2472°E

Matambukira Rocks is a rock formation on Lake Malawi's Malawian shore, under 1 km south-east of Matambukira Bay.

Where it is

Matambukira Rocks is on the western shore of Lake Malawi, in its northern third (63 mi south of the lake's northern tip).

Nearest collection points: Phowo Point 0.7 mi north · Chitende Cove 1 mi south-east · Chitande Island 1.2 mi south-east

Shore, third and distances are measured from the coordinates above against the lake’s mapped outline.

The water

Lake-wide measured chemistry of Lake Malawi — collection points share their lake's water; site-specific figures are shown only where the literature records them.

Temperature75.2–84.2 °F24–29 °C
pH8.2–8.6alkaline
Hardnessmoderately soft, alkaline, well-buffered79 ppm
Conductivity≈250–260 µS/cmmeasured range

Nearest measured station: Salima (south-east shore) (~375 km) — Conductivity 235 µS/cm

This site

Habitatrockyrock formation on the lake shore

Surface temperature here

Across May–Nov, monthly means run 76 °F to 81 °F — coolest in Aug. Measured by satellite 1995–2023: the daily median of clear readings within 10 km of the site (911 clear days). The rainy-season months are usually too cloudy to measure and are left blank.

75°78°81°84°Jan: too few clear satellite days (0)–JFeb: too few clear satellite days (3)–FMar: too few clear satellite days (2)–MApr: too few clear satellite days (9)–AMay: 80 °F mean (79 °F–82 °F), 51 clear satellite daysMJun: 78 °F mean (77 °F–80 °F), 119 clear satellite daysJJul: 77 °F mean (76 °F–78 °F), 133 clear satellite daysJAug: 76 °F mean (75 °F–77 °F), 194 clear satellite daysASep: 77 °F mean (76 °F–78 °F), 212 clear satellite daysSOct: 79 °F mean (77 °F–81 °F), 123 clear satellite daysONov: 81 °F mean (80 °F–83 °F), 59 clear satellite daysNDec: too few clear satellite days (6)–D
Surface temperature by month near Matambukira Rocks — dot = mean, bar = typical range (10th–90th percentile), “–” = too cloudy to measure.

Temperature: ESA Climate Change Initiative, Lakes_cci v3.0 (Asfour et al. 2026; doi:10.5285/a56dba09df8a42ec9fba8b8c7a5e1f69). Chemistry on this page remains the lake's own.

The site

A site photograph shows Chitande Island in the background beyond the rocks.

Sources
  1. malawi.si — Matambukira Rocks, Lake Malawi, Malawi: location page and photo gallery (captions by Mark Thomas)

Each entry below is the population of that species recorded here — the form aquarists keep and breed as a distinct, provenance-labelled line. Crossing forms from different collection points is considered hybridisation in the hobby.

Copadichromis (1)

Cynotilapia (2)

Labeotropheus (1)

Maylandia (1)

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