Genus Lethrinops

Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek"

IUCNNOT EVALUATED

NEnot on the EX–LC scale

CARESNOT LISTED

EWCRENVUNTnot on the priority list

Genus type speciesLethrinops lethrinusdescribed as Chromis lethrinus Günther 1894

Habitat watermoderately soft, alkaline, well-buffered79 ppmLake Malawi

DietSand-sifting invertebrate feeder (genus-typical); not documented for this form

BreedingMaternal mouthbrooder (genus-typical)

PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek" is an undescribed Lake Malawi sand-dweller sold by Aqua Haus Gaus.

What's in the name

Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek" — leh-THRIN-ops sp. mm-BAH-see creek

Descriptive nameA descriptive epithet — neither an eponym nor a place name.

Lethrinops

LethrinusGreek — a genus of emperor fishes
opsGreek — appearance; the genus was named for a resemblance to Lethrinus

"Mbasi Creek"

Mbasi Creektrade label — a trade label that names a creek; what the creek refers to is not documented

Taxonomy & naming

Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek" is a trade label for an undescribed Lake Malawi Lethrinops. The form is undescribed, and its identity and range are not documented in the sources behind the atlas.

Morphology

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Lethrinops are elongate haplochromine cichlids with a pointed snout.

Habitat

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Lethrinops are endemic to Lake Malawi and live over sand and mud bottoms.

Feeding

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: the fish sift sand for small invertebrates.

Mating

Not documented for this form.

Breeding

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Lethrinops are maternal mouthbrooders.

In the aquarium

Not documented for this form. Genus-typical care applies: hard, alkaline water and a deep sand bed.

Conservation

An undescribed form has no IUCN category, and none is claimed here. Population and range data for it are not documented in the atlas's sources.

On a list: Hard and alkaline water fish

Related species compared · Lethrinops

Species	Adult size	Temperature	pH	Hardness	IUCN
Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek"this species	—	—	—	—	NE
Lethrinops albus	6.5 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops altus	6 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops argenteus	7.5 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops 'black chin' (informal)Lethrinops atrilabris	3 in SL	—	pH 7.7–8.6	—	NE
Lethrinops auritus	5.5 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops christyi	7 in TL	75–79 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	up to 357 ppm	LC
Greenface sandsifterLethrinops furcifer	7.5 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	from 179 ppm	LC
Lethrinops gossei	5.5 in SL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops leptodon	8 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Scarlet Fin LethrinusLethrinops lethrinus	8 in TL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC
Lethrinops longimanus	6 in SL	75–82 °F	pH 7.7–8.6	—	LC

Recorded ranges from each species’ own page; hardness is the tolerance its sources give, not a measurement of the water it lives in. See all 63 Lethrinops species →

Also from Lake Malawi

Sources

Aqua Haus Gaus trade listing: lethrinops-sp-mbasi-creek

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Lethrinops sp. "Mbasi Creek". Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/species/lethrinops-sp-mbasi-creek/

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