Tropheops sp. "Masimbwe" "Crocodile Rocks"

Crocodile RocksKROK-uh-dyl ROKS (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 Tropheops sp. "Masimbwe" account →

Specific to Crocodile Rocks

  • 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 Tropheops sp. "Masimbwe".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size4 in10 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Hardness (GH)very hardup to 446 ppm
Depth7–49 ft2–15 m
DietAlgae grazer — turf and associated diatoms/micro-invertebrates browsed from rock with thick lips and fine teeth
Breedingmaternal mouthbroodernot documented for this form; genus-typical, 15–30 eggs
Sexual dimorphismYesGenus-typical: males more strongly coloured than plainer females; specific pattern not documented for this form.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Crocodile Rocks population

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

Colour reference: living Crocodile Rocks fish at malawi.si

About the species

Tropheops sp. "Masimbwe" is an undescribed mbuna of the southern reaches of Lake Malawi, recorded from Harbour Island and Thumbi East Island near Monkey Bay south to Kadango, close to where the lake narrows toward its outlet into the Shire River. It is a rock-scraping algae grazer built to the genus’s characteristic blunt, downturned head profile. The trade name marks a locality association rather than a colour pattern. It has no describing author, FishBase record, or IUCN status.

Full Tropheops sp. "Masimbwe" account →

Sources

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