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Otopharynx decorus "Mbuyu"


Otopharynx decorus can be found most times living solitary and incidentally in large numbers in entire Lake Malawi. They are mainly living in reasonable shallow water where they remain in unprotected sandy environments. These examples were found in the neighbourhood of Mbuyu, a little southern of Chilumba in the northwestern part of the lake.


In the lake the males of these species can grow to 15 cm, in the aquarium however they can grow a little taller because of a good feeding. The males can then grow to about 17 cm, females grow to about 13 cm.


Otopharynx decorus is in common a real peaceful cichlid. You can keep this species best with other peaceful species and multiple females in a tank with some places to hide.


In the lake they are mainly feeding themselves probably with invertebrates which they find on and in the sandbottom.
In the aquarium they are comfortable with any food. They take everything they get offered, like spirulina pellets, mysis, artemia, cyclops and shrimp-peas mix.