Aquarist Atlas
↑ Collection form of Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo"

Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo" "Chirombo Bay"

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 Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo" account →

Specific to Chirombo Bay

  • 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 Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size5.5 in14 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Hardness (GH)very hardup to 357 ppm
Depth16–49 ft5–15 m
DietPresumed largely herbivorous/detritivorous, feeding on sediment and algae among weed beds; genus-typical, following the pattern of the close relative P. longimanus.
Breedingmaternal mouthbrooderseveral dozen eggs (genus-typical estimate; not documented for this form)
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot documented for this form; genus pattern suggests breeding males are the more strongly coloured sex.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Chirombo Bay population

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

Colour reference: living Chirombo Bay fish at malawi.si →

About the species

Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo" is an undescribed haplochromine recorded from Chirombo Bay in the southern basin of Lake Malawi, within the general range of the described weed-bed specialist Placidochromis longimanus. It has not itself been given a formal scientific name.

Full Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo" account →

Sources

  1. malawi.si — Placidochromis sp. "Longimanus Chirombo" "Chirombo Bay"
  2. malawi.si — Placidochromis (Konings-based species database; Malawi genus overview)
  3. Konings, A. — Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat, 5th ed. (Cichlid Press; foremost Malawi field authority)
  4. Cichlid Room Companion — Placidochromis (genus profile)