Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi" "Nkhudzi"

Nkhudzin-KOO-dzee (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 Nkhudzi" account →

Specific to Nkhudzi

  • 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 Nkhudzi".

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 Nkhudzi population

Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi" "Nkhudzi" is the Nkhudzi population of Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi", 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 Nkhudzi", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Nkhudzi fish at malawi.si

About the species

Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi" is an undescribed sand-dwelling cichlid recorded from a locality named Nkhudzi. The first word of the trade name echoes the described species Lethrinops macrochir, whose epithet ("large hand") refers to broad, elongated pectoral fins; a separate form, Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Mumbo", carries the same descriptor from Mumbo Island further north, suggesting more than one population is currently grouped under this informal label. Precise coordinates and national jurisdiction for the Nkhudzi record were not confirmed in the source consulted, so neither is stated here. No authority, publication year, FishBase number, or Red List status exists for this form.

Full Lethrinops sp. "Macrochir Nkhudzi" account →

Sources

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