Aquarist Atlas
↑ Collection form of Labidochromis sp. "Mara"

Labidochromis sp. "Mara" "Mala Point"

Mala Point — MAH-lah POYNT (approx.)

The fish

How this cichlid is built, and everything about how it lives, eats and breeds, is shared with the species — this page doesn't repeat it.

Read the full Labidochromis sp. "Mara" account →

Specific to Mala Point

  • Collection locality & coordinates
  • Local coloration — best judged from the living-fish photo
  • Kept as a single-provenance line, never crossed with other collection points

Care facts below are the species' — shared with Labidochromis sp. "Mara".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size3.5 in9 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Depth10–66 ft3–20 m
DietRock-associated aufwuchs grazer or invertebrate picker (genus-typical; exact mode not documented for this form)
BreedingMaternal mouthbrooder (presumed, genus-typical)Not documented for this form; genus-typical broods run to a few dozen eggs
Sexual dimorphismMinimalColour and dimorphism not documented for this form in the sources available; not fabricated here pending a published field account.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Mala Point population

Labidochromis sp. "Mara" "Mala Point" is the Mala Point population of Labidochromis sp. "Mara", a geographic colour form from the Mozambique coast of Lake Malawi in the central part of the lake. It is the same species as Labidochromis sp. "Mara", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Mala Point fish at malawi.si →

About the species

Labidochromis sp. "Mara" is an undescribed rock-dwelling cichlid whose single recorded locality in the source consulted for this article is Mala Point, on Lake Malawi. It carries no authority, no year, and no FishBase entry, and — unlike the genus’s “Gigas [locality]” or “Lividus [locality]” trade forms — its name does not reference a described relative.

Full Labidochromis sp. "Mara" account →

Sources

  1. malawi.si — Labidochromis sp. "Mara" "Mala Point"
  2. malawi.si — Labidochromis species and locality database
  3. Cichlid Room Companion — Labidochromis genus overview (Ad Konings, curator)
  4. Konings, A. — Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat (Cichlid Press; Labidochromis biology and Mala Point locality forms)