Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" "Mumbo Island"

Mumbo IslandMOOM-boh EYE-land (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 Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" account →

Specific to Mumbo Island

  • 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 Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size5.5 in14 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Hardness (GH)very hardup to 446 ppm
Depth16–82 ft5–25 m
DietSand-sifting invertivore, filtering chironomid larvae and other micro-invertebrates from sand through the gill rakers
Breedingmaternal mouthbroodernot documented for this form; genus-typical, a few dozen eggs
Sexual dimorphismYesBroad, elongated pectoral fins are reported as the defining trait; the specific breeding male colour pattern is not documented in the sources consulted.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Mumbo Island population

Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" "Mumbo Island" is the Mumbo Island population of Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo", a geographic colour form from the Malawi coast of Lake Malawi in the southern part of the lake. It is the same species as Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Mumbo Island fish at malawi.si

About the species

Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" is an undescribed sand-dwelling cichlid recorded around Mumbo Island, a small, clear-water islet within Lake Malawi National Park in the southern lake. The first word of the trade name echoes the described species Lethrinops macrochir, whose epithet ("large hand") refers to broad, elongated pectoral fins, though whether this island population is formally allied to that species or simply shares the descriptive label is unresolved. A second form, Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi", carries the same descriptor from a separate locality further south, suggesting more than one geographically distinct population is currently grouped under this informal name. No authority, publication year, FishBase number, or Red List status exists for it.

Full Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" account →

Sources

  1. malawi.si — Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo" "Mumbo Island"
  2. malawi.si — Lethrinops species database
  3. Cichlid Room Companion — Lethrinops genus profile
  4. Konings, A. — Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat (Cichlid Press)