Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel" "Masinje"
Masinje — mah-SEEN-jeh (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 Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel" account →Specific to Masinje
- 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. "Phenochilus Gissel".
The Masinje population
Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel" "Masinje" is the Masinje population of Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel", a geographic colour form from the Malawi coast of Lake Malawi in the south-central part of the lake. It is the same species as Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.
Colour reference: living Masinje fish at malawi.si →
About the species
Placidochromis sp. 'phenochilus gissel' is an undescribed rock-dwelling haplochromine from the Makanjila reef cluster in southeastern Lake Malawi. Its trade name links it to the described species Placidochromis phenochilus, known for conspicuously thickened, fleshy lips, with 'Gissel' distinguishing this particular field form. It has not itself been formally described.
Full Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Gissel" account →